Celestial Signer
by bricann
Summary: A seventeen year old girl was normal. She loved watching her favorite show Yu Gi Oh 5Ds. So when the Crimson Dragon makes her the Celestial Signer and sends her to the Signers' World, she will have to decide what to tell and what not to tell and at the same time help defeat the Dark Signers. What can she do in a situation like this? Read to find out. Yusei X OC
1. A New World

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 1**

**A New World**

A young girl with brown hair and a pure white streak in it lay asleep in her bed. Her sand colored sheets wrapped loosely around her body to avoid hurting any of her bruises.

Outside her window a red light shined as a female, red dragon looked at her. Next to her, her brother, Lunar Dragon, hovered. A red and white aura shined around the girl, only apparent in the dragons' eyes.

"She has the Celestial Signer aura, sister," Lunar Dragon said.

"Yes, she does," the other dragon said.

"Crimson Dragon, what would a Signer be doing in this world and not in the Signer World? She will know every event to happen in that world," Lunar Dragon asked.

"I don't know the answer to that either, brother. But we must send her to the Signer World before the Dark Signers take hold," Crimson Dragon said. "But first, I must give her the mark."

Lunar Dragon nodded. Crimson Dragon looked at her right forearm and a mark began to form. The outline was shaped as the sun with a crescent moon in the center.

The girl cringed a bit as it burned her arm, but she did not wake up. The mark began to glow bright and consumed the girl. It cocooned her and lifted her next to the Crimson Dragon.

"I will see you soon, Lunar Dragon. I must guide her to her destined world," Crimson Dragon said.

"Goodbye, sister. I will see you again," Lunar Dragon said.

Crimson Dragon reached over and grabbed the girl wrapped in the cocoon of light. She brought it into her like she was holding a parcel of great importance (which it pretty much was) and darted into the cosmic reaches of space.

Lunar Dragon stared up at the spot where he saw his sister take off before leaving to go take his place as guardian of this Earth on the moon.

Yusei was just done listening to Goodwin explaining the Signers when a mighty, familiar roar cried out through the air.

Goodwin and Yusei looked towards the Satellite where the Crimson Dragon ascended from the ground. As its tail passed through the clouds, it left a mark that faded. It was the shape of the sun with a crescent moon in the center.

"Another Signer? Goodwin, is there another?" Yusei asked looking at the director.

"I do not know, Yusei. I haven't heard or read about that mark. If you find this person, I'm sure your mark will ignite and glow like with the others. Find this person, help them, and make them understand," Goodwin responded. "Be quick about it as well. We do not know what will happen if this person was to fall in the wrong hands."

A helicopter appeared with Yusei's runner in its cargo bay. Yusei hopped in seeing no other choice. Plus, he was curious about this other Signer.

'_What other Signer could there be that even Goodwin doesn't know about?'_ he thought. The copter took off and Yusei sat down on a bench. He turned his head and looked out the windows. _'Whoever this person is, I have to find them,'_ Yusei thought.

The girl, who was about seventeen, began to stir on the ground. Her hands scrunched up and dirt clumped together under them. Her eyes popped open and she bolted up. She saw she was lying on a debris filled ground. It had crumpled pavement, garbage, and other items.

'_I've seen this type of ground before,'_ she thought.

She looked around. There were dirty piles of garbage and crates everywhere. She looked at her clothes to make sure they weren't too dirty.

Her clothes were different than before. They were still a bit boyish, just as she liked it. She had black pants on with white tennis shoes. She had a white and red shirt with a dark blue jacket over that. She also had a white belt with a pocket that held a deck of cards.

Her arm burned a bit so she pulled up her sleeve and saw the mark. _'This mark looks like the ones from that _Yu Gi Oh 5Ds_ show. But it's different and how did I get it?'_ the girl thought. She looked around again and was relieved to feel her hair was in a ponytail. _'I know what this place is, or is like, now. It looks like the Satellite. But how? I probably got moved here somehow and it just looks like it. The only way to say this was the Signers' World is if Yusei Fudo, Crow Hogan, or any of them come up to me. But like that's going to happen. They're fictional characters. Let's look at this deck in my pocket.'_ She pulled out her deck and looked at it. It was full of duel monsters cards. But she barely recognized any of them. _'Do I need to know how to play duel monsters? How can I? I don't even think I've ever played duel monsters before,'_ she thought.

She heard the sound of a helicopter and looked towards the sound's location. A helicopter, but it was more like a plane-helicopter mix, was flying over the beach. It looked like the one she knew from the show. The hatch opened and a motorcycle, but it looked like a familiar duel runner from _Yu Gi Oh 5Ds_, fell out.

It was red with a half arch over the top. The driver who was on it had black jeans with orange knee pad like buttons, brown boots and gloves, a black shirt with a red design, and a dark blue jacket with orange pad like buttons on the shoulders and elbows similar to the knees. She couldn't see most of his face because of his red helmet and dark visor.

'_That's the duel runner Yusei uses! Probably a look alike. It has to be,'_ she thought. _'I don't know what's going on, but before I search for people to find answers I'll search a bit myself. See if I can find any answers that way.'_

So she walked in the opposite direction, looking at every detail. _'This seems too much like _Yu Gi Oh 5Ds_. But it seems too real to be so,'_ she thought and kept walking.


	2. Questions and Run!

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 2**

**Questions and… Run!**

Yusei landed with a heavy thud and drove a few meters before skidding to a stop.

"Well look what the cat dropped in," a voice called.

Yusei looked up to see a figure that was shadowed a bit by the sun's rays. The figure began to slide down the pile of which he was standing on.

"You have some explaining to do, pal. So start talking," the figure said.

The figure came into view as he reached the bottom. He had black pants, brown hiking boots, grey figureless gloves, orange shirt, brown vest, and orange hair.

"First thing's first," Yusei said.

"You asked for it," the figure said.

They brought their hands up in the form of a fist. To many eyes, it would seem like they were going to punch each other. But instead they fist bumped and laughed.

"How ya doing, Yusei?" the man greeted.

"Hey, Crow," Yusei greeted back. "What've you been up to?"

"Oh, you know me. Fighting the good fight, robbin' the rich to feed the poor," Crow said. "I see Sector Security got to ya."

"Yeah, well. I see you finally learned how to use a wrench," Yusei said. Crow laughed.

"Yeah, she's a beauty, right?" Crow responded. "Why don't we go check up on your friends?" Yusei looked at him confused. "Dude, I've known you long enough to know when something's bothering you. The only reason I could think of is your friends."

"Yeah, you're right. You obviously know me too well apparently," Yusei said.

"Then c'mon," Crow urged.

They zoomed off through the streets. They talked for a bit as Yusei was explaining the previous events. Yusei then began looking around and noticed the streets were practically deserted. "Crow, why are the streets so empty?" he asked.

"Some people in robes are walking around trying to round up followers. They are spouting these crazy speeches. I hear they're taking everyone underground," Crow explained. "Things have gotten weird here, Yusei, weirder than usual."

'_Then I better look into this,'_ Yusei thought.

They looked forward and noticed a girl walking in front of them. She was walking away from them but she hadn't noticed them. They turned and hit the brakes at once. The girl jumped out of the way, and just in time. Crow and Yusei were mere inches from hitting her before they came to a final stop.

Yusei and Crow hurried off their bikes and the girl turned around to sit on her butt. She looked up at them in shock. They removed their helmets and the girl's eyes went wide.

"Hey, are you okay?" Yusei asked.

She looked down and clutched her head and began to shake it back and forth. She muttered things softly and it was almost impossible to hear. "No, not possible. This isn't possible. None of this is real, it's just a dream. Not possible, not possible, not possi…" Yusei cut her off by setting a hand on her shoulder. She cringed. "Not possible. Impossible. Has to be a trick. They aren't real. They can't be real."

"Hey, it's okay. We're not going to hurt you," Yusei comforted.

She looked up between Yusei and Crow. _'This can't be real. They're fictional characters from a TV show. They can't be real. But they feel real, they talk the exact same. How?!'_ she thought.

"What's your name?" Crow asked.

"E-Era. Era Windser," she answered.

"You don't look from around here. I don't even recognize you. Does she look familiar to you, Yusei?" Crow asked.

"No, she doesn't," Yusei answered. _'Yusei?!'_ Era thought. "Where do you come from, Era?" he asked Era.

"Not from here," she answered. _'I don't know what will happen if they learn what I know, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to find out,'_ Era thought.

"Do you not know where you're from? Or do you not want to tell us?" Crow asked.

"Second one. I just can't tell you," she answered.

"Why?" Yusei asked.

He held out a hand to help her up and she took it. Suddenly Yusei's mark lit up. He looked at it. Era looked straight at her newly marked arm and it, too, was glowing. She quickly hid it but Yusei still caught sight of it.

"What was that on your arm?" Yusei asked.

"Uh, uh, I… don't know," she stammered.

Crow looked between the two. "Okay, I'm confused. Why was your arm glowing?" he asked.

"I'm a Signer, Crow. I've already told you about this," Yusei said. Era's breath caught in her throat at the name, "Signer".

'_It can't be possible. The Signer World isn't real. It's fake, fictional, nonexistent. How could I be in a world that isn't real?'_ Era thought.

She began to back away from confused fear. She couldn't handle this, not now. Not yet. She turned tail and ran as fast as she could.

"Wait!" Yusei yelled.

She kept running. _'Something's different about her. She seems to know us. Somehow. But I have to find out more,'_ Yusei thought. He turned to Crow. "Crow, let's go," Yusei said. "We can look for her later."

Crow nodded. They took off and went their way to Yusei's friends' hideout.

Era leaned against a stacked crate and slid down. "I think I'm free," she mumbled.

She looked up at the sky. The sun was beginning to disappear behind the horizon. "Am I really in the Signers' World? The World of _Yu Gi Oh 5Ds_? How did I get here if I am? Why am I here?" she asked herself.

She looked at the darkening sky. _'Where am I going to sleep?'_ Era thought. She looked around and saw nothing. She groaned. _'Might as well make myself comfortable on the ground,'_ she thought. She lied on her back and looked up as the forming constellations which were the same as back home. The moon was coming into her view as it moved through the sky.

Era had always believed there was a moon spirit protecting them, and that got people to stay away from her because they found it weird. "Moon Spirit, why was I brought here? If I can't know how, then I need to know why," she said.

She closed her eyes for a sleep that she knew wouldn't come easy. But slowly, sleep came over her body.


	3. A History Better Left Unsaid

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 3**

**A History Better Left Unsaid**

Crow and Yusei were arriving at Crow's hideout after beating two Sector Security officers. They turned the last corner and noticed a figure lying on the ground Crow's nest (hideout).

They stopped and walked over carefully. In Satellite, there's no telling if there is a person waiting to harm you. As they got closer, they noticed familiar marks and designs.

"It's her!" Crow exclaimed.

They walked up to her and Yusei gave her shoulder a gentle shake. She rolled over her eyes cracked opened. Her vision was slowly coming clearer. She sat up and took everything in.

"Why?" she muttered. "Why am I here? How am I here?" She tucked her head between her knees and shook it. "This isn't possible. It can't be possible," she muttered.

"Era, what's not possible? Why is it not possible?" Yusei asked.

"Being here isn't possible. I don't understand how or why I got here. All I know is," she paused to look up at the stars, "I'm not remotely from here. Not even close."

"Era, what was that mark on your arm?" Yusei asked.

"Yusei, the last time we asked that question, she ran. I'm not sure we shou…" Crow was cut off by Era.

"It's fine, Crow," she said.

"How do you know my name?" he asked.

"I've heard it around. Plus you guys were saying your names in front of me," she answered.

"True," was all Crow said.

"So what was that mark?" Yusei asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," she answered.

"_Celestial Signer,"_ called a calm, motherly voice.

Era stood up. "Who's there?" she called back.

"_You are the only one who can see or hear me. You are the Celestial Signer, child. You hold the power of every celestial being in the universe. Look up to see me, child,"_ the voice said.

Era turned her head up. She gasped in utter shock. "Y-You're the…" she couldn't finish.

Yusei and Crow looked up but saw nothing. Yusei looked at Crow who shrugged.

"_Yes, Era. I am the Crimson Dragon,"_ the red dragon said.

"Do you know how I got here? You must know where I'm from, right?" she asked.

"_Yes, I know. I am the one who brought you here from your world,"_ Crimson Dragon answered.

"Why did you bring me here?" Era asked.

"_You are special. You are the Celestial Signer. The first one in existence and me and my brother only created the Celestial Signer because the darkness here is stronger than the one in the show you watched,"_ Crimson Dragon explained. _"It will mostly play out like the show, but there will be differences."_

"Should I tell them about the show? And what I know?" Era asked.

"_Not yet. Wait until all the Signers are gathered, then tell them all,"_ Crimson Dragon answered.

"Why is it that only I can see and hear you? Why can't the other Signers?" she asked.

"Because, though the Signers are a part of me in pieces, you are a part of me and the universe in whole. So you can see me, and my brother Lunar Dragon who guards your Earth, but no one can unless I allow it," Crimson Dragon explained.

"Oh, that makes sense," she said.

"_I must leave for now, child. But I will be watching. Tell them that you are the Celestial Signer but nothing more until all the Signers are together. Do you understand?"_ Crimson Dragon said.

"Yes, I understand," Era responded with a nod.

"_Farewell, Celestial Signer. I will see you again,"_ the dragon said before taking off.

"Goodbye," she said quietly. Era turned to Yusei and Crow who were looking at her confused. "The Crimson Dragon told me I am known as the Celestial Signer," she said to them in one fast breath.

The only thing Yusei and Crow really got out of her sentence was "Celestial Signer".

"What's the 'Celestial Signer'? And how did you know about the Signers?" Yusei asked.

"I really should wait to explain all this until the Signers are together. If that's okay? I mean, it's a seriously long tale that I only want to tell once, if you can understand?" she said.

"For now, I get it. But once we're all together you have a lot of explaining to do," Yusei agreed. Era nodded in acceptance.

"C'mon Yusei, and you too Era. We should probably get to my hideout," Crow said.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden," Era said.

"Girl, don't worry about it. Besides, you can't sleep in the dirt for the rest of your life," Crow assured.

"Okay, thanks. I appreciate it," Era agreed though it was with some reluctance. _'The rest of my life?'_ she thought.

They walked over to Yusei's and Crow's duel runners. Era walked over to Crow's entrance where Rally, Nervin, Blitz, Tank, Blister, and Crow's "nest" of kids that he watched were waiting.

"Hey, Yusei!" the boy known as Rally called.

"Hey, guys," Yusei greeted.

Era went over and hid in the darkness. She was never one to meet new people well. Besides, this was all too strange. Yusei turned around and noticed Era.

"Era, you can come out. None of us will hurt you," Yusei called. She shrunk back for a second. Everyone looked in her direction.

"Era, it's really okay. Why are you so nervous? None of us bite," Crow tried.

Era cautiously stepped out into the open. They looked at her along with her worried, confused face. "Yusei said your name is Era?" Nervin asked.

She just looked at them with worried, nervous eyes.

"Can't you talk?" Blister asked.

Yusei looked at her. She seemed much less timid and shy when she first met him and Crow. It's like meeting a whole group of people really brings out her shy side.

"H-Hi," she greeted. "My… my name is Era." Her voice was small, timid, and extremely quiet. Almost impossible to hear.

Since it seemed she was too nervous to explain a lot, he decided to explain a bit himself. "We found her alone while we were riding and talking. We almost ran into her. She ran off and we found her behind Crow's hideout. She's been really confused and nervous. We don't know much about her. She won't tell us anything really," Yusei explained.

"Hi, Era. My name's Rally," the young boy greeted.

"Name's Blister," Blister continued.

"I'm Nervin," said the man.

"I'm Tank," the slightly chubby man greeted.

"I'm Blitz," the next person said.

The names continued for a while and Era was getting worried about forgetting the names. Crow and the group sat down next to a fire and Crow began to tell the story of the "Bridge to Nowhere" at the request of the children. Everyone listened intently. Rally interrupted once and got yelled at by a couple of the younger kids. Era was the only one who wasn't really listening. She had heard the story a few times and knew it well. She was too busy worrying about her family, friends, and home anyways. _'How are they doing? Are they worried about me? If I ever return, will it be the same as I left? Did my parents ever take the time from fighting to take care of Jack? I hope so,'_ Era thought.

"Okay guys. I think it's time for shut eye for you. Us grown-ups need to talk," Crow said snapping Era out of her depressing thoughts.

"Aww, can we stay up a bit longer?" a younger boy asked.

"I'm a grown-up, aren't I?" Rally asked. "I should be able to stay."

"No, you're still in diapers," she another child. The rest of the kids laughed and Era couldn't help but crack a smile.

The kids were eventually herded inside and into bed. When they couldn't fall asleep, Era sang a lullaby to help them:

_With the night falling across the darkened sky,_

_People cover up and kids close their eyes._

_The stars will guide you through the dream you have._

_Sleep little children and sing the sweet lullabies._

_Sleep and have the wondrous dreams you're meant to have._

_Stars dot the sky in beauty._

_Sleep and have the wondrous dreams your meant to have._

She looked around and noticed every one of the kids were fast asleep. She gave a thankful grin. She hadn't heard that song in years but it always stayed with her. She tended to use it when her brother couldn't sleep.

She left the room where the others were waiting with eyes that showed shock and relief. "Nice job, Era. You really know how to help and deal with kids," Yusei said.

"I-I wouldn't say I deal with them. I just care for them," she responded.

"She speaks for once," Crow commented. Era became nervous again and went back to silence.

With that done, Yusei began to explain his side of the situation. "So that's why we were stuffed into that box?" Nervin asked.

"Yeah, sorry I got you into that mess," Yusei responded.

"It's not your fault," Tank reassured.

Era had continued to stay silent, not wanting to talk or explain anything. Besides, she was too busy worrying about her loved ones.

"Well, you've been silent this entire time. What about you? What's your story?" Blister asked.

She looked at him before timidly saying, "I… don't want to talk about it."

"Then why are you so quiet and distant?" Nervin asked.

"Just thinking," Era answered vaguely.

"About what?" Yusei asked. He could vaguely see the worry and concern she was trying to conceal on her face. But Yusei was relieved to hear her talk a bit more.

"Just my family, friends, home. I'm worried about them. How they're doing, if my baby brother's okay, if my two friends are getting along, and if my parents stopped fighting for once. I'm just worried about them. Especially my brother. My parents are always too busy fighting to take care of him. I'm surprised they haven't filed a divorce yet," Era explained. "Oh, please let them be alright," Era begged looking up at the moon. She closed her eyes, her brows furrowing in concern.

Her mind began to wrap around the horrible thought of her little brother, Jack, starving or being hurt. She had plenty of bruises from trying to stand in the way of flying items thrown in his direction. She succeeded in all of them and he never got hurt on Era's watchful eye. Her mind began to remember the night before she arrived here.

**~Flashback~**

The night before she was sent here, her parents were fighting furiously with each other. Her mom was drunk and got annoyed with her brother and his fearful crying. Her mom grabbed a previously broken chair and threw pieces of it at him.

Era had stepped in front of her brother and she took the hits full force. She turned around and picked up her crying baby brother from his high chair and more pieces were being thrown at her.

"You dare to protect that worthless worm when he's misbehaving?! You're just as worthless!" her mom yelled.

More and more items were thrown at her but she didn't care. She had plenty of deep, good-sized bruises on her back, arms, shoulders, and stomach. So it was practically nothing at this point. There were still on her, she could feel them.

**~Flashback Ended~**

She was so lost in thought that it shocked her when she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. But the worst part was, it was on a really bad, really deep bruise. Era involuntarily cringed and looked up at Yusei who was removing his hand.

"Are you okay? You spaced out and then cringed when I touched you," Yusei asked.

"It's nothing. Just one of the multiple bruises I have," Era replied.

"How did you get as many bruises as you said?" Crow asked.

"Parents. Some are still healing from a few weeks ago. Some are as recent as last night," Era responded.

"What do you mean? What did your parents do?" Yusei asked. He sat down beside her.

"What they do every night when Mom is drunk. When they fight, they throw things. I use my body to protect my little brother from the objects that are flying towards him. My most recent and most brutal are from last night. Mom was drunk and was fighting with Dad, my brother was crying from fear and my mom threw some pieces from a broken chair at him. I stepped in front of him and took the three or four pieces, hard to count, full force. I turned around and grabbed my brother his high chair with pieces of a chair and other items being thrown against my back, shoulders, and arms. I don't mind getting hurt, as long as my brother and those I care about are safe," Era explained.

She lifted the bottom of her shirt until it reached the bottom of her chest. In the fire light, they saw the number of bruises across her body. Though, they knew too well that there must be more underneath the rest of her body.

"So why do you care so much about parents who do _that_ to you?" Crow asked.

"Because they're my family. I don't want to lose my family, no matter how bad things may seem," she answered.

"Wow, you're a bigger person than I am, like Yusei. I would've left with your brother on the first draw," Crow said.

"Well, if there is ever hope, no matter how small, for things to change, I don't stop hoping," she responded.

Everyone was silent as she brought down her shirt. They couldn't believe her own parents would do something like that to her and her brother… and her brother was a baby! To change the subject, Yusei brought up her mark. "Era, you still haven't shown us your mark," he said.

She sighed, thankful for the change of topic. She rolled up her sleeve. The mark was more visible in the dim light.

"Whoa, so Goodwin didn't even know about this mark, Yusei?" Blister asked.

"No, he didn't. Do you know anything about the mark, Era?" Yusei responded.

"Yes, some I would rather say once so I'll wait until all the Signers are around. Like I said earlier, it's a long story. But I will tell you is that it is the mark of the Celestial Signer," she answered.

"Celestial Signer?" Yusei asked.

Era nodded. "I know some things that you probably don't. For instance, things are and _will be_ different. Things will get hard. But it's our job as Signers to keep the light and balance the cosmic beings around us. Some may seem like you, some may seem totally different. Darkness and light are a universal battle that is never ending. When the darkness seems vanquished, it always comes back. But when things get hard, we need to face it full force or the light in you will be destroyed with the darkness taking it with it. The Signers and Celestial have the similar goals and work together to make both a reality. The Celestial Signer must keep the celestial balance in control or things will run in chaos. That's my job. The Signers job is to protect the light and brighten the light in the people around us." She looked around at everyone. "That's your job. The six Signers in total work together to enforce the light and balance and protect it," she explained.

They stared at her. She knew a lot by causes they didn't know. _'For a girl her age, she sure is wise and calm about this. But I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised, after all she's been through,'_ Yusei thought.

"We should all hit the hay. We need to rest and get some sleep," Crow said. Everyone nodded and headed off.


	4. It Begins

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 4**

**It Begins**

It was late into the night. Yusei was preparing his duel runner to head off to face the Dark Signers. Era was tucked behind a corner watching him when Crow came up. "You weren't planning to leave without me, were you?" he asked.

"This is dangerous, Crow, and I don't want you, Era, or anyone to get hurt," Yusei responded.

Era stepped out into the open but they didn't see her. So she spoke up, "Sounds like you don't think I can take care of myself." They looked at her shocked to see her.

"No, it's not that. I just don't want any of my friends to get hurt," Yusei said.

"And I don't want you to get hurt," she said. _'But I know what'll happen and I can't, and shouldn't, stop it,'_ Era added mentally. "Listen, I'm coming with you whether you like it or not. I know what's going to happen and I want to be there to help when it does," Era retorted.

"What's going to happen?" Yusei asked.

"If I told you, it could disrupt and change the chain of events that would, and should, occur," she responded.

"What are you? A psychic that can see the future?" Crow asked.

"Not quite. I just know things that you don't," she answered. "Anyways, I'm coming. That's the end of it."

Yusei sighed. "Fine. It's not like I can stop you anyways."

Crow nodded as he put on his helmet. He got a spare helmet out of a special compartment in his bike, resembling the other.

"I made an extra in case something happened to the other. But, I can't force you to stay. So, you might as well wear this." Era gladly took it and thanked him. Crow couldn't help but admire this girl's courage. Crow nodded as he got on his bike. Era got on after him and curled her arms around his waist.

Yusei nodded to both of them as he started his engine. Crow started his soon after, and the three of them were off in a trail of smoke and energy.

A deep fog was falling over the Satellite. Over where the purple silhouette stood tall and ominous, a young, tall, willowy man in a black hooded robe with blue decorative trimmings stood on a pile of scrap, waiting. His arm was raised high in the air, and a glowing purple mark resembling the ghostly figure beside him glowed eerily.

He smirked as he felt the presence of the three people riding up the road. "Well, it looks like I get to kill two birds with one stone today."

Era shivered as she saw the glowing figured getting closer and closer as the three of them sped down the street. She knew him and what he was capable of. She just hoped it won't be as bad. She held on as tight as she could to Crow without squeezing him. But, she would face the mysterious light, no matter what. Suddenly, a flash came swirling by and slipped by Crow's Runner. Both Crow and Yusei immediately stopped their Runners. Yusei looked over, and saw a card lodged in a stone. He recognized the card as Vorse Raider, and his eyes got wide.

"Crow, I know this card!" Yusei exclaimed.

"Well, if it isn't Yusei and his bird brained friend, Crow!" A voice laughed sarcastically a few feet away from them. Era hunched up. She knew that voice. It was Kalin Kessler, the man with tricks. A hooded figure riding on a midnight blue and orange Runner was perched on top of a pile of scrap, with the eerie purple figure right behind him.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, Yusei!" He said.

Era looked at him with a glare. But not too intense because what he thought was all just a misunderstanding and he would learn that and regret his decision to become a Dark Signer.

"How is it that you know our names?" Yusei questioned him.

"Ha! I never forget a face. Especially not yours, old friend." The man threw off his robe. His red mark ran down his cheek like a stream of blood. And his wintry hair was shagged. But, his eyes were completely black, except for the golden irises that glittered like that of something dangerous.

Even though his eyes were blackened and he bore a purple mark of a Dark Signer, Yusei and Crow knew who he was, all too well.

"Kalin Kessler!" Yusei exclaimed.

"We thought you were gone!" Crow said in shock.

"Yes. Well now I'm back and I've made some NEW friends," Kalin replied in a manic tone. He put his hand over his arm, where his mark was glowing. Yusei looked down and saw his mark was glowing also. Then, Kalin glanced over, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Era, who kept her eyes to a glare.

But, he felt her energy through his mark. He had no trouble telling she was a Signer but her energy was different from the normal Signers. Stronger.

He subtly licked his lower lip. "I see you found a pretty, little, lost friend."

Era froze up. She knew he felt her power. She just can't make herself too known. It made her nerves seem to curl to think about it. Plus the word "pretty". She didn't want to know anything that might happen if he got her now.

"You're not getting her and giving her to a schmuck that would put his hands on her… if that's what you're thinking!" Crow leered at Kalin. He responded by laughing hysterically.

"I can see you're still playing the role of Robin Hood, Crow. However, you are quite mistaken…" Kalin was eyeing Era the whole time he said it. "She is very valuable."

"I'll never help you and your Dark Signer cronies! And you don't have the power to make me!" Era yelled.

He grinned evilly but said nothing. He then turned his attention back to Crow and Yusei as he started his engine.

"The Satellite was your home, you protected the people here. Now you're hurting people… and you're going to help destroy it? You were once our friend, I can't let you do that!" Yusei firmly grasped his Runner.

"That's right, Yusei! All of it's true. However, we may have been friends, but once your friend… NOW YOUR ENEMY!"

A blast of purple light emitted from Kalin's duel runner as he swerved around, with purple energy forming around Yusei and himself, taking on the shape of Kalin's mark. Crow and Era were separated from Yusei.

'_It's about to begin. Be careful, Yusei,'_ Era thought.

Era looked down and noticed her mark was glowing along with Yusei's. She hadn't noticed it until now.

"We need to get a better look at this thing." Crow started his Runner. Era held on tight as they rode up to higher ground to see the shape that was now burning upon the Satellite. It was an arcane shape, but it vaguely resembled the purple silhouette of the giant they saw earlier.

"The truth is, I still have no idea what I'm looking at," Crow muttered. "Yusei, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Crow!" Yusei called back. Era got off Crow's runner and watched the duel. She knew the ending and she hoped it would be the same if it couldn't be better. Yusei and Kalin were down below. She wondered about what Kalin had said but quickly shook away the thoughts not wanting to think about it.

"So, you know him, Crow?" she asked timidly. She didn't want him to know she knew about him.

Crow looked down for a moment before looking back up at her. "He was our friend… years ago. He used to be a great guy. But now, this is what he's become… it's sickening to watch."

"How did he get to be this way? The way I see him now…" she asked trying to fake it.

"It's a long story. You see, we were part of a group called Team Satisfaction, some called us The Enforcers… back when Duel Gangs were running the various parts of the Satellite," Crow explained.

"Oh," Era said.

Crow couldn't help but smile. "You certainly are different. It's like you know everything there is about this place. But that's a bit out there and impossible," Crow told her. Crow turned back to Yusei and Kalin. "I just hope Yusei will be okay."

"So, what happened with you guys?" Era asked.

"Kalin took it too far. When we eliminated the last gang, there was nobody else left. But in his mind, there was. He wanted to declare war with Sector Security. He took out a few guys, and we had no choice but to stop him and turn him in. But, he bares his grudge against Yusei, because he's the one that pinned him down until the authorities arrived. He got lost in his dream, and I don't think he's ever really came out of it the same. Whoever is down there with Yusei, it's not the Kalin we used to know. He stood up and protected people, including us… and people like you. That's the Kalin I know."

Era placed her hand on Crow's shoulder. "Do you think if he never became a Dark Signer, he could have gotten better?"

"I don't know, Era. I just hope Yusei will be able to face him."

"The Dark Signers got to you…" Yusei said. Kalin laughed.

"I'm not some puppet, I'm the real deal, Yusei! So prepare yourself for a bumpy ride to the Netherworld." Kalin engaged his Duel Runner's Duel mode. Yusei knew there was no way out of this except to duel him, so he also engaged Duel mode.

Each player started with 4000 life points, and Kalin went first. They started racing. Crow put the duel on his Runner's monitor.

Kalin drew a card. "I start by summoning Infernity Beast (Infernity Beast is a level three Dark attribute Beast type with 1600 attack and 1200 defense points) in attack mode." A hellish hound appeared, with sickly green cheeks. (Infernity Beast is a level three Dark attribute Beast type with 1600 attack and 1200 defense points.) Kalin set a card face down to end his turn.

Yusei moved next, drawing a card. "Kalin, what happened to you?" Yusei called after him.

"Surprised? I'm not the same from when we were comrades. Even my deck has changed!" Kalin yelled back.

Kalin wasn't going to talk, so Yusei summoned his monster, Speed Warrior. It looked like a skinny robot with a gas mask and ice skates (Speed Warrior is a level two Wind attribute Warrior type monster with 900 attack points and 400 defense points). "Since this is my Warrior's first turn, his attack points are double." Speed Warrior's attack was at 1800. Yusei then set two facedown cards, and declared an attack on Kalin's monster.

However, Kalin countered with his face down, Death Amulet. By sending a card to the graveyard he could negate the attack. Since Yusei couldn't attack again, he ended his turn. Speed Warrior's attack returned to normal.

Kalin drew a card. He summoned Infernity Fiend. The monster looked like a twisted nightmare, with multiple red eyes and a wicked grin (Infernity Fiend is a Dark attribute fiend with 1800 attack points). "I'll have my Beast attack your Speed Warrior." Infernity Beast's cheeks swelled and released a toxic fire that shattered Speed warrior. Yusei's life points fell to 3300, and his bike spun out and screeched against the purple barrier.

"Come on, Yusei, don't spin out of control," Kalin said.

Suddenly, Kalin's attention was directed upwards to see a helicopter coming in close. He started laughing when he saw Jack Atlas leaning out the door watching the duel below.

Crow and Era saw Jack as the copter flew over them. The helicopter hovered in the air. "I don't believe it! It's Kalin." He looked over and saw Crow and Era looking at him. He looked at Era curiously. "Who's the other girl?" he noticed her glowing mark. "And why does she have a mark? Is she the fifth Signer?"

"… Is that Jack Atlas? Ha! A little late, don't you think?" Kalin called up to them. Era leaned over to the side to see Jack and his mark glowing.

Yusei regained balance and started racing again. He peered over and his eyes widened. Jack was there.

"I'm okay!" he called.

Kalin snickered at he leaned over at Jack with a maniacal grin. "You're all just in time!" he said.

He then ordered his fiend to attack directly. A blazing hand came out of the sky to attack Yusei, but he managed to negate it with a trap known as Scrap Iron Scarecrow. Kalin ended his turn by setting down a card.

Jack had the pilot put the duel up on the copter's monitor. The gust emitting for the copter blew through her hair like a stormy wind.

Yusei drew his next card, and summoned one of his favorite cards, Junk Synchron. It appeared to be a three feet tall orange clockwork robot with a tall hat, vintage glasses and a white scarf (Junk Synchron is a Dark attribute monster with 1300 attack points).

"I activate my monster's special ability to bring back my Speed Warrior." In a flash of light, Speed Warrior returned. He declared a Synchro summon, and a flash of white stars enveloped his two monsters. When the light cleared, a bigger, blue robot stood, with red goggles, a white scarf, skates, and rocket fists (Junk Warrior is a level five Dark attribute Warrior Synchro monster). "I'll attack with my Warrior and activate Shard of Hope. When I deal damage, I draw a card, and if it's a trap, I get to activate it." However, Yusei had assumed that Kalin wasn't going to risk his hand. But, he activated Death Amulet once again to negate the attack. Yusei had no choice but to end his turn.

Jack jumped out to watch the duel. He was now standing next to Crow and Era, who stood next to Crow's Runner. Era felt her head ache. "The energy it is emitting, it's almost as great as that of when all five Signers are together and are one," Era said.

Jack looked at her. "Who are you? How do you have a mark? Why is it so different than the rest? Is everything going okay?" he asked.

"For now everything is as fine as it canbe, but I don't think it will be alright later on. Trust me on that," Era said.

"You still haven't answered the rest of my questions," Jack said.

"My name is Era. But we really need to focus on the duel," Era told him

Jack gave a slight growl in annoyance but knew he couldn't do much at the time.

Everyone looked back at the duel. It was Kalin's turn again. He drew and released his monsters to perform an advance summon.

"I summon Dark Tuner Nightmare Hand (Dark Tuner Nightmare Hand is a level ten Dark Tuner Fiend with no attack points)!" A twisted purple and red fiend appeared. It giggled at it hovered in the air above Kalin's Runner. "I think I'll activate its ability allowing me to summon another monster." Kalin chose to also summon Infernity Dwarf, which looked like a short, chubby gray skinned man with red eyes, and mountain man outfit, and an oversized axe. Yusei knew what was coming next, and Kalin was aware that he knew. "Now comes a Dark Synchro Summon! Shadows are devoured by darker shadows to reveal a world without light!" Nightmare hand turned into a huge dark blob that consumed the dwarf. A series of ten stars surrounded them. Suddenly, two vanished, and the stars turned black as the formed a circle. "Come forth! One Hundred Eyed Dragon (One Hundred Eyed Dragon is a level eight Dark attribute Dark Synchro Dragon with 3000 attack points and 2500 defense points. It gains the special abilities of all Dark attribute monsters in your graveyard)!" A black energy bolt crashed down. When the smoke cleared, a midnight black dragon appeared, with sickly light gray wings, and its whole body covered in lavender eyes. It stood at least three stories tall, and roared louder than the whirl of the copter. Kalin sent in the dragon to attack. Yusei tried to counter with his Scarecrow again, since it goes back to his hand after activating it, and he had set it back down. But, one of the dragon's acquired abilities came from Infernity Beast, and as long as he had no cards in his hand, Yusei couldn't activate spells or traps. Junk Warrior was destroyed, and Yusei's life points dropped to 2600. He spun out of control again and found himself riding atop the barrier.

"Yusei! Don't give up!" Era yelled impulsively.

Jack said nothing as he watched the duel intently. Yusei then managed to return back and was just behind Kalin.

It was his turn again. He summoned Rock Stone Warrior in defense mode, a monster that looked like an old rocky statue of some obscure creature that also had 1600 defense points. He then set a facedown card to end his turn. Kalin's Death Amulet trap then expired, because it could only be used for so many turns. He drew a card, and played a Speed Spell Card called Power Baton. He sent one monster in his deck (Infernity Destroyer, 2300 attack points) to the graveyard, to add 2300 attacks points to his dragon. His monster now had 5300 attack points. He had his dragon attack. The dragon had Infernity Dwarf's ability, which let it do damage even when a monster was in defense mode. But, Rock Stone Warrior was no ordinary monster.

"My Warrior cancels your battle damage for this round," Yusei said. Rock Stone Warrior went to the grave, but Yusei was safe. Kalin mused.

"Well, at least you'll be here for another round. But it won't do you any good old friend. You're going to pay for betraying our friendship on that rainy night," Kalin said.

"I had no choice," Yusei replied.

At the end of his turn, Kalin had his dragon use Infernity Destroyer's special ability, which dealt 800 points of damage, and brought Yusei down to 1800 life points. The blast caused Yusei to cringe and came to a halt for a moment before he resumed riding to start his turn.

Yusei didn't have anything in his deck that was strong enough to destroy Kalin's monster. Not even his Stardust Dragon would be strong enough. He was between a rock and a hard place now, and he would have to act quickly.

"Yusei, I believe in you, please…stay with us," Era whispered. "We all believe in you."

"Looks like your Runner is about to give out, right, Yusei?" Kalin smirked.

"No it's just a little wobbly," Yusei retorted.

"Oh, like your duel strategy?" he mocked Yusei.

"Not quite. You see, since I have monsters, I can summon my Level Warrior to the field as a level four monster," Yusei said. A red clad warrior appeared with a yellow cape and glowing stars up his front (Level warrior is now a level 4 monster with 300 attack points). "I also summon Hyper Synchron." A multi-colored machine like creature emerged in a blast of light (Hyper Synchron is a level four light attribute monster with 1600 attack and 800 defense points). "And now I synchro summon my ultimate monster by tuning my two monsters together! Come on out, Stardust Dragon (Stardust Dragon is a level eight wind attribute Dragon type Synchro monster with 2500 attack points and 3000 defense points)!" A ring of eight stars formed a circle as his two monsters disappeared, and one giant creature took their place. Stardust Dragon was an immaculate white dragon to behold, with glittering gold eyes, and an ocean blue chest. Its whole body rippled with ivory and sea colored scales as shining dust fell to the ground. "Also, since I used Hyper Synchron to summon my dragon, it gets 800 more attack points and can't be destroyed in battle." Stardust Dragon now had 3300 attack points. He ordered it to attack Kalin's dragon. Kalin countered by activating the power of Infernity Guardian, which prevented his dragon from being destroyed, but his life points still dropped to 3700. He felt a sting in his back. Shard of Hope was still active, so Yusei activated it. Because Kalin took damage, he could draw a card, and if it was a trap he could activate it in return for Shard of Hope's destruction. He drew a card, Miracle Locust.

Stardust Dragon gained 1000 more attack points and could attack again. Now Kalin's dragon could not access its great abilities and was destroyed, and Kalin took another hit that left his life points at 2400. But Yusei wasn't finished. He activated another card called Synchro destructor. Kalin would take damage equal to half his monster's attack, but since it was a Synchro monster, he would take full damage. It seemed to be all over.

But, Kalin had his own counter move. He activated a trap called Damage Translation, which halved his damage. His life points after the two hits were now at 900. He could feel the pain surge through him. Then, at the end phase of Yusei's turn, he activated the second part of his trap, which brought out two eerie black Ghost Tokens.

Things were now as tense as ever. Era wanted this to be over now so she didn't have to see Yusei get hurt with her own eyes.

She prayed Yusei wouldn't get hurt, but now it seemed that it was unavoidable. Jack was still standing close by. Mina had been in the copter the whole time watching, and could see things were not looking good.

It was now Kalin's turn, and though he wasn't able to draw, he had added a card to his hand via one of Yusei's cards and suddenly. On one side of the arena, a group of hooded figures gathered around.

"Are those all the people who were taken?" Crow gasped.

"They are, and that means something bad is about to happen," Era answered.

They looked at her with shock and confusion. _'How does she know all this?'_ Jack thought.

"Now, Yusei. I'm going to channel the souls of our captured to summon my strongest monster, my Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu!"

"What?!" Yusei couldn't believe it.

Kalin's Ghost Tokens vanished, and the people on the other side started disappearing into the sky. A dark cloud began whirling, and a huge black hand reached out as a huge monster landed on the ground. It looked like the purple silhouette of a giant they had seen earlier, but it was night black and had blue lines running all over it in a pre-Incan design, with a circle at the center that resembled an eye. Yusei tried to send his Stardust Dragon after it, but it proved ineffective. He also tried to counter with a trap and that failed as well. "Thanks to the souls of those captured, my monster is basically invincible. How do you like that, Yusei?" Kalin laughed hysterically as his humongous beast moved in to attack, by attempting to crush Yusei with its titanic palm.

Yet, the monster was now inches away from Yusei and his Runner, when a piece of the Runner blew out and started the Runner spinning out of control. Yusei was thrown off and rolled hard onto the ground in a series of crashes.

When it was over, Yusei was terribly injured, and his bike was smashed. The duel was brought to a halt before his life points could be touched. Despite the fact he was injured, he was alive, and was not sent to the Netherworld.

Kalin rode up alone side him as everyone rushed down to Yusei. "Looks like your Runner ended the duel before the duel could end you. Simply pathetic! Say…what did the MC at the tournament call you? Satellite's Shooting Star? More like Satellite's Falling Star!" He roared maniacally as he rode off. He shouted back. "You can't defeat me! However, expect to see me again… all of you!"


	5. Help and Warnings

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 5**

**Help and Warnings**

Era stood over Yusei with tears in her eyes. She didn't want to see this. It was one thing when it was on television, but it was another when it came to real life right before your eyes. _'Please let this all be one big, horrible dream. Please,_' she thought.

The light of her mark dimmed. She kneeled down next to Yusei when she saw that a piece of glass had dug itself into Yusei's side. _'This was worse than what the anime showed. The Crimson Dragon was right. The darkness is stronger here,'_ she thought.

"Ahhh… my…" Yusei groaned in pain.

"Oh no… Yusei!" Era turned to Crow. "Crow, help me get him to Martha's. He needs medical attention," Era ordered.

"Uh, how did you know abou…" Crow began but Era cut him off.

"Questions later. He needs help," Era retorted with a warning glare. She looked back at Yusei. "It'll be okay, Yusei," Era whispered.

'_Somebody just changed character,'_ Crow thought.

Era helped Crow and Jack get Yusei to his runner. Crow looked at her with an expression that told her he wanted her to stay but Era said, "I'm coming with you. Nothing else to it."

"Fine, but my runner's full and Yusei's is unusable. How're you going to get there?" Crow asked.

"I have abilities. After all, I am the Celestial Signer," Era answered.

"Celestial what?" Jack asked.

"See ya there, Crow," Era said. "Transport to Martha's place," she whispered and pictured Martha's house. Before the others knew it, she flashed out of existence.

"What the…?" Crow asked confused. He snapped out of his trance and said, "I've gotta go. See you around, Jack."

With that he took off. Jack made his way to the helicopter and got on before riding back to the city.

Era quickly found herself next to Martha's door. She barely knew what she was doing but tried it anyway. She waited for a bit, about ten minutes, until she finally saw Crow riding up with Yusei. He looked at her shocked.

"How did you…?" Crow began but Era cut his off again.

"Yusei's help first, then questions later," Era said.

Crow groaned. "Fine," he said. He ran up and started banging his fists on Martha's door. "Martha, please answer! It's Crow!"

The door slowly opened to reveal Martha. "It's the middle of the night, Crow. This better be good," she said.

"No, this is bad. Real bad!" Crow said.

Martha quickly noticed Yusei lying on Crow's runner. "Is that Yusei?" she asked before turning to the waiting group inside. "I need hands out here people! Yusei needs help!"

People ran out and carefully helped Yusei. Crow and Era followed them as they brought Yusei into the medical room. Era hated watching this unfold before her eyes without it being on a computer or TV screen.

Doctor Schmidt quickly hurried in and worked on Yusei as fast as he could. We were locked outside while he worked.

Rally, Tank, Nervin, and Blitz arrived soon after with Yusei's runner in nothing but their undergarments. They waited for what felt like hours. Era glanced up to the clock trying to get a since of time. _'An hour. Feels ten times longer than that,'_ she thought.

The door slid open and they all stood up. "How is it, doc?" Crow asked. Martha followed the doctor out.

"Doctor Schmidt says he'll make a full recovery," Martha said.

"As long as he gets enough bed rest and doesn't do anything strenuous for a few days he, should be fine," Doctor Schmidt informed.

Everyone gave a sigh of relief. Even though Era knew he would, she couldn't help but feel so worried. _'If the darkness is stronger here than in the show, I need to be prepared for major differences,'_ she thought. She looked down when another thing washed over her. _'I've never been so worried about a person like this other than with my brother. I bet it's because I care about him like I would my brother. After all, he is like a big brother to me.'_ But even with that in her mind she couldn't help but feel that it may be something more. She shook her head and washed away the thoughts temporarily.

Rally, Nervin, Tank, and Blitz all sneezed in unison. "Looks like you got yourself a nasty cold there. I'll go get you some blankets and make some soup," Martha said looking at them. She turned and muttered, "I can never get a break, can I?"

Era stood up and followed Martha. "Would you like any help, ma'am?" Era asked. She hated not being able to say their names as if she knew them. But she had to do what she had to do.

Martha looked at Era with a smile. "I would appreciate it, thank you." They walked in and Martha grabbed the blankets while Era made the soup. Martha came back in and said, "I'm Martha by the way. I never got your name."

"Oh, sorry. I should've introduced myself sooner. My name is Era. It's nice to meet you," Era greeted before turning back to the soup. As always, Era always gains a confidence boost when she needs to help someone. But after that, it goes back to being timid and nervous. She added the last few ingredients before stirring a bit more.

"It smells lovely, Era. Do you cook?" Martha asked.

"Actually, yes, I do. For as long as I can remember, I cooked for my family and when people were sick, I would bring them some warm soup or food to help them. Even some medicine if they didn't have it. I never wasted any of the needed ingredients that went to them on me though. I'd rather help others first than myself," Era said. She sighed. _'I really hope my baby brother's okay. I don't know what I would do if he was hurt,'_ she thought.

Era turned off the stove as the soup was done. She turned back to Martha. "Well, it's done. Why don't we get them some soup? Everyone I gave it to says it helps them a lot. I hope they like it though. It may be different than what they're used to."

Martha smiled. "I'm sure they will." They grabbed a few bowls and poured some soup for everyone.

Martha and Era walked out with the bowls on the tray. Everyone smelled it in a second. They looked at them. Era handed everyone a bowl and spoon. The four people sitting on the stair with colds and blankets dug in without warning. "Wow, this is really good Martha. Thanks," Rally said.

"The 'thanks' goes to Era. She made it," Martha said.

"Really? Wow, Era. You can really cook," Tank said.

Era gave a slight giggle in embarrassment. She wasn't used to compliments like this and it was a bit embarrassing. She rubbed her neck nervous. "It was nothing, really," she said.

Everyone ate it without a problem and with that they went up to bed. Era, however, stayed behind. She turned to Martha. "If you ever need anything, Martha, just come and get me. Okay?" she said.

Martha nodded. "I might just do that. Now get to bed. You need sleep too," she said.

Era nodded and went up to bed. She lied down and closed her eyes. Despite the situation, sleep came over her easily.

_Era looked around. She floated above a mighty temple with people with the five Signer marks standing on it raising their arms at the bright, red star above them. Below them, people bowed._

_She looked around as saw the Crimson Dragon next to her. The scene below her changed into a nightmare. She saw a version of herself that was chained to a wall by cuffs made of metal and webbed with multicolored negative energy._

_In front of her were five Dark Signers, all of which she recognized. The one on the far left was a girl with black hair and a black robe that had orange patterns on the outline. Next to her was a bald man with a black robe that was outlined with yellow designs. In the middle was another man with white hair and a black robe with red designs. To the right of him was Kalin and on the far right was another girl. She also had black hair. She had a white dress covered with a black robe with green designed outlines._

_They gave a sadistic grin underneath their cloaked faces. The man with the red outlined robe brought his hand up and clenched his first. Era watched in horror as her dream self was shocked and burned with negative energy in the form of electricity._

"_Just give into the darkness, Celestial Signer, and this can all be over," Kalin smirked._

"_No! Torture me all you want, but it's not going to happen!" Dream Era yelled._

"_Very well," the red outlined man said._

_The real Era looked at the Crimson Dragon. "Crimson Dragon! Why are you showing me this?" she asked._

"_It is a warning to you. You must be extremely careful when you are in the face of these five. If you are captured, then what you see before you, will come to pass. If this does happen, do not give in. You are the Signers', and this world's, only hope. You must let go of your fear. I know you fear for your loved ones, your brother especially. But if you are to prevail, you must believe in yourself. My brother had seen to it that your brother is safe. He has turned into a disguised human temporarily until you are able to return. You must let go of your fear. You and your brother will be alright as long as you believe. Never stop believing and don't lost hope," the Crimson Dragon said._

"_I won't stop believing and I won't lose hope! Just I have done for the past ten years. Even before my brother was born I never stopped hoping, and I won't begin now. I can promise that,"_ _Era said._

"_Good," Crimson Dragon said. The vision started to fade. "Now it is time for you to wake up. I will see you again, Celestial Signer."_


	6. Awake

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 6**

**Awake**

Era bolted up in bed. She looked out the window to see the sun peaking over the horizon. She shook her head. _'After that, I'll never be able to get back to sleep. I'll go outside for now,'_ Era thought.

She climbed out of bed and put her shoes and jacket on. She quietly walked out the door and sat on a rock not too far from the house. She looked up at the painted sky and saw the slowly fading moon. She thought of what the Crimson Dragon said in her dream, _"… Until you are able to return."_

'_Will I actually be able to go home?'_ she thought. She stayed out there for a while until the sun had completely shown itself above the horizon. From there she got up and walked back inside.

Martha came walking by as she entered and said, "My, where have you been? I thought I heard a bit of shuffling and went to the rooms to see who it was. When I found yours empty, I was worried about you."

"I was just outside watching the sunrise. I had to think for the past hour or two," Era said.

"I see. Well, you're up in time to help me make breakfast. I assume the others would love to have more of your cooking," Martha said with a small laugh.

"Yeah, well, okay. After that's done, we should go check up on Yusei. If he wakes up, I bet he'll be hungry too," Era said.

Martha nodded and they went to the kitchen. Era made some batter and got some cinnamon out. Martha looked at her. "What could you possibly be making?" she asked.

Era formed the batter into buns shaped into swirls. As she formed the swirl she put a bit of cinnamon in the creases. She grabbed the pan it was on and put it in the heated oven.

"Just something I make a lot. My brother loves them. I'm not sure if you've ever seen them being from the Satellite but they're called Cinnamon Buns. I bet you have at least heard of them. They cook pretty fast so it won't be too long before they're ready," Era said. She set the timer and sat down to rest while she waited.

It wasn't long before the timer went off and she grabbed the pan and brought it out. They were puffy and smelled great.

Rally, Crow, and everyone had started to enter curious to what the sweet smell was. "What smells so great?" Rally asked.

"Just something Era made," Martha said.

Era placed a few pinches of sugar on top of the freshly made buns since they had no icing. She placed each bun on its own plate and set them on the table where everyone sat down. "I hope you like it," she said before walking away.

She heard they first try it cautiously before the scraping of forks was heard. "Wow, she can cook. This is great," Crow said.

"No kidding. I wonder where she's from," Tank said.

Era made her way to Yusei's room with Martha who was carrying an apple, plate, and a knife to cut the apple with. When they entered, they saw Yusei awake looking around.

"Glad to see you're finally up," Martha said.

"Martha… Era…" he said. He cringed as he felt the stabbing pain in his gut. "Has everything been okay in the Satellite since I left?"

"It's been rough as always," Martha said. "Security took our decks and crime has taken whatever else has even of little value. It's a part of why so many people look up to you, Yusei. People thought you had a chance at getting out of here and starting a normal life. That's why it breaks my heart to see you back here dueling… I just hope you won your little game."

"It's not what you think, Martha! There are some people out there who want to destroy our home, you see, there is this group called the Dark Signers…" Yusei tried but was cut off by the elder.

"Calm Down, Yusei. I believe you. But, why are you trying to take these people on by yourself?" Martha asked. Era was silent, feeling she shouldn't get into the conversation yet.

"Because it's my job," he said.

Martha sighed as she sliced away at the apple. "You'll just never change… your always trying to do things by yourself without any help and wind up in a hospital bed. You have friends who would follow you anywhere. After all, some got your runner after it was all smashed up. And then there's Jack…you two were like brothers once. Whatever happened between the two of you, it's time you both forgave and forgot. Life is hard enough…it's even harder without a best friend. And if it's true that these Dark Signers want to turn our home into a parking lot, then you'll need all the friends you can get… because, mark my words, I'm done bandaging your black and blues." She handed him a couple slices of apple. He thanked her. "Also… if you leave before I say you're better, those scars are just the beginning," she warned him.

Yusei nodded. Martha turned and said, "I think I'll leave you two alone. You need to talk to each other."

The two teenagers looked at her with shock and confusion. She paid no attention and left. Era shook her head and looked at her friend. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Better than before," Yusei answered.

Era nodded. "That's better than feeling the same, right? We were all pretty worried. We're all pretty glad that you're okay. I'm especially glad. We need you, Yusei. I need you." Era's eyes widened in shock and embarrassment when the last sentence rolled out of her mouth before she realized she said it. She blushed. "Sorry, that was weird."

"Don't apologize. It's fine. Besides, I know I probably need you just as much," Yusei said. They both blushed awkwardly.

Era walked over and sat in the chair next to his bed. "I'm glad you're alright. But in all honesty, I knew you would be," she said.

"How did you know?" Yusei asked.

"Reasons that you'll learn later," Era said. She sighed. "Believe me, Yusei. I don't like hiding this from you. But when you do find out, I'll never keep anything from you or anyone again. I promise. But for now, I have to wait."

Yusei nodded. "I understand and I didn't hold it against you. After all, you did say it was a long story. After how long that one story was, I wouldn't be surprised that it was longer," he said.

"Thanks Yusei," she said.


	7. Author's Note

**A/N: **

**Sorry there is a Author's Note. I never do one of these and I hate to do it to you guys. It is like a false hope to those who read it in my opinion so I am so sorry that this has to be. But I have a problem that needs solving and I want you guys in on it. So here it is...**

**There is a possible Yusei X OC. Though it will seem like it will be at first, I am undecided on if or if not it will stay. I am asking that you, the readers, tell me. Should there be a full Yusei X OC or end it at some time?**

**Let me know through the reviews and PMs. I am eager to hear what you guys think and the group with the most "votes" (I guess you could call it that) will decide whether or not it should stay or go. If they are even, I may make it a on and off battle and decide yes or no myself. But I would rather do what you guys want.**

**Let me know and it will happen!**

**-bricann**


	8. Akiza's Parents and Their Pleas

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 7**

**Akiza's Parents and Their Pleas**

Three days later, Martha told Era that she thought Era should start helping Yusei more.

"Why?" Era asked.

"You two seem like you really need to get to know each other better and I have to finish knocking that cold off Yusei's friends," Martha explained.

Era nodded but was still a bit confused. _'There had to be more to it than that, right?'_ she thought.

Martha handed her Yusei's food tray and walked off with a slight grin on her face. Era walked toward Yusei's door. Just before entering, she took a long, deep breath.

She knocked on his door telling him she was about to enter. She slowly walked in. Yusei looked at her. "Hey, Yusei," Era greeted.

"Hey, Era. I would've thought Martha would be the one bringing me the food," Yusei said.

"She kind of passed the baton to me. Said we should try to get to know each other better and that she needed to finish off Rally and your friends' colds. I agreed obviously. I hope you don't mind," Era explained.

"Of course I don't mind," Yusei said as Era handed him his food. He took a bite and swallowed. "Not bad. You make this?"

"Yeah. When you've lived like me, you tend to learn how to cook and fend for yourself and others. But it's nothing special," she responded.

"You certainly are a cook," Yusei looked at her skinny body. "I can't help but notice how thin you are. Do you mind if I ask 'why'?"

She shook her head. "It's just a matter of money, time, and heart. I never really want to eat as I'm afraid I'll run out of food that I need for my brother, Jack. Besides, money's always low with my mom and her beers. I'd rather eat nothing and give to my brother than let my brother go hungry with me. I'm never really hungry as is. My body has kind of gotten use to the lack of food," she explained. She looked out the window and at the bright sky. "I've always put others first because I don't want anyone else to get worse than me. I don't mind really. As long as they're okay."

"It's no wonder the Crimson Dragon chose you as a Signer," Yusei said.

"Why is that?" she asked.

"You've never put your needs before others. Heck, you're as thin as you can get and you don't care. The Crimson Dragon probably saw this and knew you were destined to help," Yusei explained.

"Maybe," Era said looking down still a bit unsure.

"You have to eat you know," Yusei said.

Realizing what he was saying, she quickly said, "No, it's okay, Yusei. The food's yours and you need your strength."

"Era, when was the last time you ate something?" Yusei asked. She looked up and was about to say something but she closed her mouth and shrugged. "You need your strength too. And you can't have a lot on an empty stomach. I've haven't seen you eat, not around me anyways. So it must be at least three days. Come here."

Era sighed in defeat. She knew he was right but she felt so wrong taking food from someone else. It felt strange and foreign to do so.

She walked over. He took a cut piece of food and fed it to her. He took a couple more and gave it to the extremely reluctant girl. He noticed her confused, yet sad, expression.

"What's wrong?" Yusei asked.

She swallowed the piece she was chewing and said, "I feel a bit stronger now that I have something in my stomach… but… but it feels so wrong to take food from you. It feels like a foreign influence forced me to accept the food but my feelings and natural conscience tells me not to. It's so confusing and hard to explain."

"I know it feels strange. If I were like you, I would feel strange about it too. But we all need our strength if we're going to beat the Dark Signers," Yusei said.

"I guess you're right. I just…" she stopped as she looked straight into Yusei's cobalt colored eyes.

They held such a caring, understanding look that seemed to soften her heart and calm the torrent of emotions that swirled inside her.

As Yusei looked into her forest green eyes, he saw her confusion, sadness, and everything that had been eating at her since they met flow away from her eyes.

Before either of them knew what they were doing, their lips grazed each other for a second and then the graze became a passionate kiss. It made their bodies feel like they were on fire and they didn't know why.

When they broke, both looked at the other in shock and a bit of happiness. _'I never thought my first kiss would be with Yusei Fudo. Wow,' _Era thought.

They set their heads on each other's foreheads. Both of them weren't really sure what to think… other than a couple of things.

'_I thought he loved Akiza. This can't be right. What am I supposed to do when I can leave? Do I stay here or go back home?'_ Era thought as she restrained herself from grasping her head in frustration. _'Do I love Yusei?'_ The thought actually scared her. If she loved him, will she have the guts to leave him or any of the friends she'll have to meet?

'_The kiss… it felt strong and… made my body the happiest it has ever been. Why? Am I in love with Era? But we only met a few days ago. What about Akiza?'_ Yusei thought confused.

They realized they had their foreheads against each other and quickly pulled away awkwardly.

"Well, then, um," Era stuttered. "You should probably finish eating." She got up and looked at Yusei's expression which told her to eat so she said, "Don't worry, Yusei. I'll got eat some leftovers."

He nodded. He was stunned she read him so easily. She couldn't help but smile at him. He smiled back. She walked out and went to the fridge to fulfill her unofficial promise to eat. She grabbed some leftover meatloaf that was sitting in there for a couple days. She set a slice down on her plate and sat next to the window as she ate.

She noticed a plane land as she finished her food and set her plate down in the sink before walking to the door.

She opened it and saw Akiza's parents, as she knew them, standing there with a worried expression on both their faces.

"Hello. I saw you walking here through the window. Is there something I can help you with, sir?" she asked.

"Is Yusei Fudo here? We heard he is and we need his help," the man said. He had brown hair and beard.

"He is. Oh, my manners come in." She moved and guided them to the dining room. "Yusei was recently hurt but I'm sure he can help. Let me go get him," she said.

They nodded and took a seat. Era walked to Crow and informed him of the situation. He nodded and waited as she got Yusei.

When she entered, she said, "Yusei, a man is here and says he needs your help. Can you get up?"

"I think so," he answered. He slowly got up and stood without a problem. He walked with a minor limp that was only noticeable to the watching eye.

He walking into the dining room and sat down. "Is something wrong, sir?" Yusei asked.

"So, you're Yusei Fudo?" the man asked. When Yusei nodded, the man sighed with relief. "Sorry, I just didn't want a trick or something. My name is Senator Izinski. My daughter is Akiza as you probably know. Akiza is in trouble. She's in a coma and I put her there. The doctors say she's okay physically but she just can't wake up. They think it may be some sort of emotional trauma. I know you have a connection to her. Please, Mr. Fudo, help us save our daughter. So I can make things right."

Yusei nodded. "I'll come help too, if I can," Era said. They looked at her.

"Do you know her?" Senator Izinski asked.

"Not personally, no. But I am also connected to her and I feel like I understand her a bit. Besides, ever since I first saw her I wanted to be like her. I'll rephrase what I said before and say, I understand her a bit and I feel like I can help too. Though, it's just a feeling, I can try to make it a reality," Era said.

"If you really feel that way, please come. We could use that sort of thinking," Senator Izinski said.

"Of course. I'm ready to go whenever you want. It's just Yusei I'm worried about," Era said. She sounded like doctor in her voice. Hey, when you take care of sick, hurt, or any person in need most of your life you tend to become a doctor at times.

"I'll be fine, Era," Yusei said. She nodded. "Okay, it's settled. We'll go," Yusei said to the senator.

"Thank you so much. If it's alright, can we go right away?" Senator Izinski asked.

"Of course," Yusei agreed.

He stood up. "Yusei!" Martha called. "What did I tell you?"

Yusei was about to respond when Era cut in, "Don't worry, Martha. I'll be with him and make sure he'll be okay. You don't need to be worried about him."

Martha reluctantly nodded. "Very well. As long as you keep an eye on him. I assume the doctors there will be a bit better than here. Be safe you two."

"Of course, Martha," Yusei said.

They were about to walk out when Era turned to Martha. "We'll be seeing you soon. And Martha," Era said. Martha looked at her. "No one will ever be a better doctor than you and Doctor Schmidt. Remember that."

"Thank you, Era. I will see you soon," Martha said.

Yusei and Era nodded before leaving on the plane. Era looked out the window. She was still trying to grasp the fact she was in a whole other world. And a world that was supposed to be fictional, for that matter. But she couldn't wait to meet Akiza, Luna, and Leo. She could wait on Jack.


	9. I Need More Voices (Author's Note)

**Hey Everyone! Another Author's Note. UGH! Hate them.**

**But in all seriousness, I need more people to vote on full Yusei x OC or end Yusei x OC at some point. If I do end up doing a full on Yusei x OC, I may have a bit of uncertainty passing through Era but I have a plan for both. Though I will probably do this anyways while it the story is going along. I need a good amount of votes before I can make a final decision. I want to do what you guys want and plus, I have two endings in mind that I just can't decide which would be the best. Help me choose and you'll get one of the endings I have in mind! C'mon readers. Give me a vote and when it is all said and done, I will give you the tally when the ending happens.**

**I want you, the readers, to decide what you want and I'll do it. Thank you for your time and a new chapter will be coming! Once again I say, give me your voice. I can't wait to hear what you have to say and that's all for right now.**

**See ya with a new chapter!**

**-bricann**


	10. Revealing the Truth?

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 8**

**Revealing the Truth?**

Akiza was the strongest girl she had ever known about. Luna had the biggest heart, especially to the duel spirits. Leo was one of the most courageous. Jack had the biggest ego but that hid his strong will. Crow had the strongest will to keep the bonds that he respected. Yusei… well to her Yusei was all five (without the ego). It was no wonder he got the head in the show. All of them were skilled duelists and Era wondered if she was as skilled. _'It would have to be through instincts considering I haven't really ever played duel monsters,'_ Era thought.

They came closer and it wasn't long before they landed on the helicopter pad on top of the hospital. They got out with Era staying by Yusei.

They walked through the maze of halls. As they walked, Era got tense. Yusei looked at her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Meeting people," she answered bluntly.

"You were okay earlier," Yusei mentioned.

"Whenever I'm meeting people so I can help another, I'm fine because my mind is in a state of helping rather than introductions. But when I'm getting ready to meet new people I…" she trailed off.

"You'll be fine, Era," Yusei reassured.

"Hopefully," she muttered.

They came around a corner and the twins Era knew from the show noticed Yusei immediately. Era's throat grew a bit tight in nervousness.

"Yusei!" Luna and Leo exclaimed running up and hugged Yusei.

"Hey, guys," Yusei greeted.

He shot Era an awkward glance but Era didn't care. Era smiled at the sight. It was sweet that they cared for Yusei like this, even though she already knew they did. It felt heartwarming to see it firsthand. But she still felt nervous about meeting the two plus Jack and Akiza.

Luna could feel someone staring at them and looked at Era. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Uh, uh, hi," she greeted. "M-My name's Era. You're Luna, right?" She still sounded timid and quiet.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Luna asked.

"I've seen you on TV. I always admired how you duel with the amount of heart and care, especially for your duel monsters that you do. Believe me, Luna. I think you're cool and your dueling mimics your heart," Era explained.

"Really?" Luna asked. Era nodded. "T-thanks. No one has ever really said anything like that to me before."

Era looked at Leo. "You must be her brother. Is- Is it okay if I know your name?" Era asked quietly.

"I'm Leo. It's nice to meet you, Era," he greeted.

"It's nice to meet the two of you as well," Era said giving a quick smile. They smiled back. They like how kind she was.

She turned to Jack. She was never sure if she really liked him. He had too much ego but he tends to make up for it at times. She could never really tell whether she did or didn't like Jack. "Hello," she greeted still quiet.

"You're Era, right? The girl from before?" Jack asked.

"And you're Jack Atlas. The former turbo dueling champion with an ego. But an ego to hide his true side," Era tested.

"What do you mean I have 'an ego to hide my true side'?!" Jack exclaimed.

"Listen, I know more than you think. A lot more," Era said. She turned to Yusei who was staring at her. When she talked to Jack it was like she had a sudden change of character. She knew more than she was letting on at the moment. "Didn't we come here to help Akiza?"

Yusei nodded and they walked in. Akiza's parents were close behind while Jack, Leo, and Luna stayed in the background.

Yusei looked at Era as they reached the bed that Akiza was on that was there in a spacious, empty room. Era nodded. Akiza had a tear sliding down her cheek that Era knew was going to be there.

"Akiza…" Yusei took his glove off and used his right index finger to gently wipe off the tear. "It's me."

Yusei and Akiza's marks lit up quickly followed by Era's. Luna looked at Era and her mark. But the mark wasn't one of the ones Yanagi told them about.

"Jack! Her mark! It's so different but it's like ours in the same way," Luna told Jack.

"You're right. But what makes her so different that she gets a completely different mark? What makes her different from the rest of us?" Jack wondered aloud.

Akiza began to sit up on her bed. "Yusei?" She looked at Era. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Era," she said and was about to talk further when she heard Akiza's father.

"Akiza!" he exclaimed.

Akiza turned to them angry. "What are _they_ doing here?!" she yelled. "That stranger over there ruined my life!"

"Akiza listen," Yusei tried but was interrupted by Akiza.

"All I have is Say…" she stopped remembering Sayer's death and sentence to the Netherworld. "No… my home is in ruins and another father is missing. Sayer was more of a father than you ever were!"

"Akiza please…" Senator Izinski tried but was once again interrupted by Akiza.

"No! My only home and family is in ruins and you ruined my life!" Akiza lashed out. Senator Izinski looked down in shame.

"Akiza, please, just hear us out," Yusei tried.

"No! If you're trying to erase the past don't bother. I've already forgotten about them," Akiza said.

"Akiza, if you've forgotten about them, you wouldn't be this angry," Era intervened.

"You don't know anything. I don't know you… and you don't know me!" Akiza retorted.

"But I do, Akiza," Era said. Akiza looked at her. "Akiza, you're strong. You're stronger than anyone else would ever think. You're powerful, Akiza. Not just by your psychic abilities, but your heart and will is strong and powerful. You are beyond special. The abilities you have can be a curse but only if you let it. When you want it to, it could be a gift to bless on the world." Era softened her expression. "Akiza, you can be strong, special, and you have a bright spirit just waiting to be released. And I know… I know you will make your ability the gift it was meant to be!"

"How do you know that?" Akiza asked.

'_Now as good as time as any. I can't and shouldn't hold it in any longer. I won't. The Signers are together, so it's time to let my light shine,'_ Era thought. _'But I should start a bit subtle at first.'_ She then exclaimed, "Because I'm like you!" Everyone looked at her.

"How so?" Akiza asked a bit shocked.

"I've had a secret to hide since I came here. Just like you, it's time to let it out. It's time to be set free. First, let's start with my new mark," Era said. She pulled down her sleeve to reveal her mark that was the moon surrounded by the sun. "What do you see?" Era asked gently.

"The sun and moon," she answered.

Era nodded giving a small smile. "Exactly. What are the sun and moon? What are they known by scientifically?" she asked.

"Uh, cosmic or celestial bodies. But what does that have to do with your mark?" Akiza asked.

"Because I am known as the Celestial Signer as I was told by the Crimson Dragon herself. But I'm not just a Signer," Era said.

Everyone was silent until Akiza broke it, "Then, what else are you?"

"Akiza, you asked how I knew what I said. I knew it because I don't come from here. When I first met Yusei, he and his friend Crow asked where I was from. Do you know what I told them?" Akiza shook her head. "I said, 'I wasn't remotely from here'. The last thing I remember before waking up in the middle of the Satellite was me getting into my own bed. I had a dream that night before waking up. I was flying passed the stars at light speed. That's when I woke up here. Akiza, I'm not even close to home. My home is another, different Earth possibly light years away. I may never see my baby brother again but I know he's safe thanks to the Crimson Dragon and her brother. When I came here, I was confused and scared out of my mind. I'm sure you're the same now. But I became friends with Yusei, Crow, Rally, Martha, and more than that. And that made my heart ease. My point is, let us be your friends, Akiza. We want to be your friends and your father wants to make amends. He wants a second chance to try and be your father again."

Akiza looked at her father with disbelief in her eyes. His expression was all she needed. "Daddy, do you really want me back? After everything I've done, you still want me back?" she asked. He nodded honestly.

She ran up to him. She couldn't believe she was able to give in so easily but there was something about Era that allowed Akiza to see the sincerity in her father's eyes and she couldn't help but release it all. She could see her father really regretted everything he did. The three family members hugged each other in relief and happiness. Their family was back together and on the right track.

Era walked up next to Akiza. "Listen, Akiza. We need you. But we want you to be our friend more. Yusei, me, Luna, Leo, and even Jack. We want to be your friends. Will you let us?" Era asked.

"I'm never really good with friend. I tend to end up hurting them. Are you sure you want to risk that?" Akiza asked.

Yusei nodded followed by Leo and Luna (plus their smiles). Jack just gave a small grin. Era said, "Of course, Akiza. Hey, look at me. Friends can come from anywhere and the best of friends will last forever. We're here for you. Every step of the way." Akiza turned and hugged Era who hugged back with a smile.

'_This is different than the show. She should've put up more of a fight. Maybe this is for the best,'_ she thought.

"Thank you," Akiza whispered in Era's ear. Era gave Akiza a comforting squeeze before letting go.

"I hate to break up the moment, but Akiza we still need your help," Yusei said.

"I'll help, as long as that's okay with my parents," Akiza said and looked at them.

"Of course you can. You have a job to do. We're going to be worried… but we're so proud of you," her mother said.

They hugged again and Era had to hold back some tears of joy. "Why don't we take a walk? If you're up to it. I'm pretty sure you are, though," she suggested.

"I like that idea," Akiza said. She turned to her parents. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

Senator Izinski nodded. "Go ahead, Akiza. We'll see you soon," he said.

She nodded and the group of Signers (plus Leo) walked out.

"You know, I wouldn't have expected you to be from another planet," Akiza said.

"I don't think any of us would've," Jack chimed in.

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't have expected to be _brought_ to another planet. And to this place of all of the worlds out there," Era responded.

"Era, you said you were from another Earth but you never really said how you knew any other us," Luna said.

Era gave a sigh. "I'm not entirely sure I should say this because it could throw everything that should happen out of control. But I guess you should know. Back where I come from, this place, duel monsters, Yugi Moto, Jaden Yuki, Yusei Fudo, all of you are part of a show. A fictional, what I thought to be, made up Japanese anime. The Signers fake, duel monsters is just a card game. Holograms have barely been invented. There are a lot of things different in my world from here."

"Like what?" Luna asked.

"Well, there are no psychics or known duel spirits," I pulled out a monster from my deck: _Starlight Dragon_. I showed them it. "A monster like my Starlight Dragon would be nothing more than a card. We don't have duel disks. Duel Monsters isn't even played by many people. I've only seen two people in my life who play it. I haven't even played it." They looked at her. "Akiza, out of curiosity, what are the main countries here?"

**(A/N: There is a small, depressing "history lesson" on WWII. You may skip if you so choose. I understand.)**

"Well, we're in Japan. Then there is America, France, Britain, Germany, and the list goes on," Akiza answered.

"So that's one similarity. Have there been any World Wars?" Era asked.

"World Wars?" Yusei asked confused.

"I take that as a no. That will be a big difference. When I come from, America won its rights but having the Revolutionary War and freeing itself from Britain. There were many other wars. Two of the main ones were World Wars I and II. World War II is the most known and the most horrifying in my opinion," Era said.

"Why?" Yusei said.

"Germany was rebuilding from the first World War. But then Adolf Hitler came to power. He blamed Jews for the loss that Germany had. So he set out to 'cleanse' the world of all the imperfect humans. All who didn't fit his bill were sent to work camps. After that to concentration camps. People would starve, be burnt alive, or gassed until they were dead. Slowly, the entire world became involved in the war. Two countries took Germany's side. Two stayed neutral until Germany attacked them. First it was the Soviet Union and then the US. The death toll was in the millions. You can visit a couple of the concentration camps to remind yourself what _not_ to do. World War II was such a horrific thing to learn about. But if we know about it, it will be less likely to happen again. My world has a horrific history that I don't want to be repeated," Era explained. "You should be happy your world hasn't gone through a war like that. It was the creation of the deadly atomic bombs and other weapons. When I find a way to leave, you need to keep the peace. I don't want this world to go through such a horror." **("History Lesson" over)**

They nodded understanding. "What else is different? Is there anything better than that?" Luna asked.

Era nodded with a grin of relief. "There are a lot of countries that give people rights and some freedom. Though no one can ever have true freedom, they get a good amount of it. There are too many things different to name them all. But there are also a lot of similarities."

"That's one heck of a world you come from," Jack said.

"No kidding. I still don't get why I was brought here. Why I was made the Celestial Signer. Especially after my vision, I'm not sure what I can handle," Era admitted.

"What do you mean? What vision?" Yusei asked.

"It was the night we got you to Martha's house. I went to sleep and had a dream. But it was more of a vision. The Crimson Dragon was there and showed me what would happen if I was ever caught by the Dark Signers," Era said. They walked onto the sidewalk and walked towards the park.

They were silent for a bit.

_*Snap!*_

Era stopped and turned around. She scanned the area but saw nothing. She kept walking not saying anything to the confused group. She shook her head. But she was more alert and watched and listened to everything around her.

"She is more vigilant than I thought. We must be careful, Misty. If we are going to grab her, we must have the element of surprise," a voice whispered to her partner, Misty.

"Then let's go," Misty said.


	11. Capture

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 9**

**Capture**

They stayed in the shadows as they crept closer to their target. Their hoods concealed their faces so the only things to be seen were their eyes. They were coming close enough to Era to jump on her. But the two figures didn't need to take her by attacking her physically. All they needed was her to be in their distance.

Misty looked at her partner who nodded. It was time. They focused on the Netherworlds circle. Era stopped in her tracks and looked around. Before she could do a thing, a tall, blaze of purple fire ringed around her. The Signers looked at her in shock.

"What's going on, Era?" Jack asked.

"Don't look at me. I don't know," Era responded at Jack's glare.

The two figures came out of their hiding spots. "She's not doing anything, that's for sure," Misty said.

"Who are you?" Yusei asked with anger filling his voice.

"You will know soon but not now. Now, Era," the green cloaked one said. She balled her hand into a fist. The ring of fire wrapped around her in a tight, unbreakable grip. "You're coming with us."

She glared at the two figures. Her mark glowed bright and the dark ring began to expand. The orange cloaked glared daggers and the ring tightened its grip. Era clenched her teeth as the fire burned her skin.

"Farewell Signers, we will see you soon," the green cloak said before the three of them flashed out of existence.

"Anyone want to explain to me what just happened?" Akiza asked shocked.

"Uh, cloaked figures just took Era in a flash of light," Leo said nervously.

"They're not just cloaked figures. Their marks were different, like Kalin's. Those are legitimate Dark Signers," Yusei said.

"And I knew one of them," Akiza said. They looked at her. "I battled the one with the green designs on her cloak. It was Misty Treadwell. She thinks I did something to her brother though I don't know what."

"Well, no matter who she is, she just took Era. We're going to have to get her back," Jack said. Yusei nodded in agreement.

A car pulled up and Lazar stepped out. "I see Miss Izinski is out of the hospital. Good. The director wishes to see all of you," he said.

Though we some reluctance, Yusei and Jack got to their duel runners while Akiza, Leo, and Luna got into Lazar's limo.

Era woke up slowly. Her hands were bound to a wall with negatively energized webs winding down it. She yanked at the chains but she couldn't pull free. Not that she expected to, they were chains after all.

"Ah, you're awake," came a deep voice. A man walked in. He was the red cloaked man from before. "We've been waiting for you to wake up you know. That way we can get on with your change."

Era looked up at him only to find her head pounding. "W-Why does my head hurt?" she asked.

"I took the liberty of looking through some of your memories. I'm shocked your world knows so much of this one. But now that we saw the shows ending, we're going to see if we can change it," he said. She gave him a shocked and worried look. "I am guessing you already know me and my associates but we might as well go through the list. I am Roman."

Kalin stepped into the light. "I know you know me. You were there when I crushed Yusei and I decided to tell them of our little encounter. They found that you may be… useful," he said. He glared at him.

"I am Demak," the yellow cloaked man said as he came into view.

The two other cloaked people followed. The orange one said, "My name is Carly. But you already knew that."

"And I'm Misty. Let's see how strong you truly are," she said.

As it happened in her dream, Roman brought his hand up and clenched him fist. Era stifled a yell of pain as negative energy shocked her very being. It last for an eternity to Era before it stopped. She let out a breath and looked at Roman with a glare.

"She is very strong," Kalin said. "Maybe I can change that."

"Not yet, Kalin. Let's give it a few more tries. Then if it doesn't work, you can have your fun," Roman said.

Era kept a stern, stubborn face but on the inside she trembled with fear at those words. She clenched her teeth as the negative electricity burned her body. _'This isn't happening,'_ Era thought frightened. _'This is all just a bad dream and I'll wake up in my own bed soon.'_

The energy burned her skin as his passed through her being. Every time she thought it was over, it would begin again with twice the pain as before.

Eventually, it stopped for longer than before and she looked up at Roman. She had a confident face but tears threatened to show and spill. Roman frowned at her. _'She has a strong will. It is no wonder the Crimson Dragon chose her,'_ he thought. _'May it's time to let Kalin break her.'_

"Kalin, she's all yours," Roman said.

They left Kalin and Era alone in the room. But Misty and Carly sent one regretful look at Era before disappearing.

Kalin walked over and said, "Hello, pretty mouse. Are you ready to play?" He pulled out a knife and stroked its flat side against her cheek. He licked his lips and she glared at him. "Because it's time to play."

Era's body was pulled to the ground but the chains made it so she could barely move her arms. He crouched over her with an insane smile.

"Leave me alone or else!" she exclaimed.

"Or else what? Those cuffs block your Celestial Signer capabilities. You're a trapped mouse and there's no way out," Kalin retorted. "Now the fun is about to begin."


	12. Answers and Escape

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 10**

**Answers and Escape**

Leo, Luna, Akiza, Jack, and Yusei arrived at Goodwin's office where he sat waiting for them. He looked at them. "So we are all gathered. Almost all of us that is," Goodwin said. "Yusei, I heard you were able to retrieve the unknown Signer but the Dark Signers got to her. Is this true?"

"Unfortunately. We couldn't stop them before they took her," Yusei answered.

Goodwin sighed. "We will get the Signer back eventually. We will have to wait though. The Dark Signers are growing by the minute," Goodwin said. He got up and told everyone to follow him.

"Do you know anything about her Goodwin?" Jack asked.

"I have been digging through old ancient texts. Only one hinted towards an unknown, new Signer," he answered.

"What was it?" Akiza asked.

"A prophecy. It goes like this: 'The Signer shall be the gateway. The Signer will be the portal. Power erupts from inside her until she finds her place in the Signers' world. The portal she is and the portal she will become'," Goodwin recited.

"Am I the only one who doesn't like the sound of that?" Jack asked.

"I don't think any of us like it," Luna said.

The elevator they had entered stopped underneath the mansion. When they entered, there was an ancient temple comprised of many stairs, much like an Incan temple. Around it was the glowing symbol of the Crimson Dragon.

"This is the Temple of the Stars. It is where the Dragon's first past down their power to humans. I'm afraid that the war between the two armies is beginning again. And New Domino…and the Satellite have become the battleground. Every person is a potential victim, and if we do not stop them here, the souls of New Domino and the whole planet will fall into darkness," Goodwin said.

Visions of frightened citizens disappearing in flashes of purple light, below glowing symbols of animals flashed by them. Leo and Luna stood close together. Everyone else stood with horrified expressions.

"Those poor people…we've got to save them," Yusei declared.

"That's right. But, I should warn you. Not all of you may be standing here again when this is all over. The Dark Signers are incredibly powerful and the task of defeating them may not just be daunting, it may be impossible," Goodwin responded.

"So you're saying we've lost before we've started?" Yusei questioned. Akiza got a worried look on her face that seemed to mirror the expression of almost everyone else.

"No. The first battle was already won when Yusei defeated the Shadow Drone last night. But, don't expect things to get any easier. As I have said, not all of you may make it out alive. It's because of this reason I'm only giving you all another day to think things through. I want everyone to be back here tomorrow with your decision," Goodwin explained.

"Ok, but one quick question. What about the fifth signer? There are supposed to be five signers, and I only counted four at the Fortune Cup." Yusei demanded. Jack smirked while everyone else also began to wonder the same thing.

"I can assure you that I am working on their identity," he responded.

Everyone was doubtful. He allowed everyone to go. They didn't know what to expect but they all had to hope for the best.

As they exited the Signers' marks glowed bright and began to pulse. They felt Era's presence begging for more energy, more strength, more help. "Era," Yusei muttered. _'Whatever they're doing to her, she needs our strength,'_ he thought.

Era's arm was glowing bright. A pulse wave was emanating from her Celestial Signer mark. Luckily it kept Kalin against the wall.

She could feel her friends lending her strength. The pulse grew more powerful and Kalin was eventually compressed against the wall tight enough where he blacked out, much to Era's relief.

The pulse wave wrapped around her before the cuffs shattered at the immense pressure the wave gave it.

She hurried to her feet. Kalin had given her a couple good sized scratches with his knife but those we nothing. She bolted out the door with the fastest speed she could muster.

She approached a turn. Before going around it, she hid behind the corner to listen and look for anyone. She saw Roman talking with Demak.

"I have recently read a prophecy. A prophecy that would be linked to the girl and her Celestial Signer mark," Roman said.

"How does the prophecy go?" Demak asked.

"'The Signer shall be the gateway. The Signer will be the portal. Power erupts from inside her until she finds her place in the Signers' world. The portal she is and the portal she will become'," Roman repeated.

"'The portal she will become'… Maybe when an event happens, she will become a portal to another world. To her world," Demak suggested.

"If that is the case, we need to make sure we keep her with us. We can use that power to envelope darkness in two worlds. Here and one that isn't so expecting," Roman said with a grin.

'_Gotta get to Yusei and the others! Gotta get to Yusei and the others!'_ Era cried mentally. She then remembered she could teleport. She searched her memories for any landmarks. Era thought of the park. _'Transport to the park.'_

In the blink of an eye, Era found herself speeding through the sky. Her body was wrapped in light and the ground was speeding below her in a blur. She saw the empty park and felt herself flash down there.

She found herself next to a tree. She leaned against it and slid down. It was a relief to be back but she knew they would come back to look for her. She looked at the ground. _'This is bad. Really, really bad. If they saw how the duels play out and change it, this could end badly. Why did I let myself get captured?!'_ she yelled at herself. She gripped her head in frustration.

After sitting there for probably another hour, trying to find a way to keep the events going the way they should, she gave up for the time being. _'I need to warn Yusei and the others. They need to know what's going on,'_ she thought standing up.

She started walking everywhere through the city, trying to locate at least Yusei. She found Goodwin's safe house as she knew from the show and immediately noticed Jack and Yusei's runners. She sighed instantly with relief.

Walking all day made her legs weak, teleporting sapped her strength a bit, plus the electricity shocks were still affecting her strength deeply. She leaned against the one of the front trees for rest and support. Her mark began to glow and burn and she slid down the tree.

'_I… just… need to… rest for… a bit…'_ she thought tiredly before a deep sleep over came her body.

Yusei was sitting in his room. Trying to think things over and make his final decision. He was worried about facing Kalin again but he knew he needed to stop Kalin. His mark began to pulse and glow. He looked at it confused before going to the window.

He looked around not sure what to think. He noticed over by a tree was someone laying on the ground. It was a girl and he saw her mark. He looked closer and as soon as he did, he ran down to the tree.

When he reached it, he rolled her over. "Era!" he exclaimed. She didn't budge.

"Yusei, who is that? Is she alright?" Luna called.

"It's Era!" Yusei answered. Luna ran down followed by Leo and Akiza.

"How'd she escape?" Akiza asked.

"I'm not sure," Yusei responded. He looked her over. He noticed the few scratches and burns on her body. "We need to get her inside," he said.

They walked with him as he picked her up and brought her inside. When they reached the living room, Yusei set her on the couch.

Jack came in having seen everything from the window. "To be honest, it doesn't surprise me that she made it back," he said. "Especially with that ability of hers."

"What ability?" Akiza asked.

"She can teleport. Yusei, you said she was with you when you woke up right?" Jack asked. Yusei nodded. "Well, the last thing I saw of her was her saying, 'transport to Martha's place' and then flashing out of existence. But from the looks of her condition, I'd say she narrowly escaped."

"When we were exiting Goodwin's mansion, am I the only one who remembers that she needed our strength?" Luna asked and they all looked at her. "Whatever they did to her, she obviously needed some of our help to get the strength to get out." She looked at Era. "I'm just glad she's back. I bet they would've done worse if she stayed longer."

They all looked at Era. Her eye brows were furrowed together in concentration and worry. _'What did they do to her?'_ Akiza thought.

'_What did they want from her? What did they get?'_ Yusei thought.


	13. The Portal She Will Become

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 11**

"**The Portal She Will Become"**

_Era stood face to face with the Crimson Dragon. They were in a field of grass with the red star glimmering overhead._

"_Crimson Dragon, do you know how much they learned from my memories?" she asked._

"_Not as much as they said. I prevented them from seeing the end of the duels and some of the important events. I could not keep everything away from them though," Crimson Dragon answered. Era sighed with relief. "I can tell you are beginning to use the powers you have been given. There are much more than what you know now, but that will be revealed in time."_

"_What is this prophecy that Roman was talking about?" Era asked. "What does it mean when it says I will become the portal? Will I die?"_

"_When the final battle for the last control tower is won, you will have a total of an hour," Crimson Dragon stated vaguely._

"_An hour for what?" Era asked._

"_After the hour is up, your power will begin to grow beyond control inside you. If you are not able to focus the power on just creating a portal, you will be consumed by it and become the portal yourself. If that should happen, you will die when the power is exhausted," the red dragon informed._

"_I'll… die?" she felt a feared tear slip down the side of her face._

"_Yes. But only if you cannot focus on just making the portal in time. Only if you lose control at that state,"_ _she informed._

"_What'll happen if I live? Will the portal take me home?" Era asked._

"_Yes. But also know this, if you live after the scenario, you can go home. But unlike the Signers' marks your mark can only disappear when you die. If you complete the portal and survive, you will have unlocked all of your power and that power will enable you to travel between your home world and this world," the Crimson Dragon explained._

"_Really?" Era asked shocked. Crimson Dragon nodded. Era then asked a question that had been bothering her for a while, "Crimson Dragon, back at home, is my body totally gone and off the face of my Earth or is it like I'm in a coma to my parents and friends?"_

"_Your body is here. You are missing to the people who care about you," she said. "There is one other thing bothering you. I can tell."_

_Era looked up at her shocked. "Y-Yes, there is. If Yusei is falling in love with me and I'm falling in love with him, what happens to the story line with Akiza?" she asked._

"_In your show, Yusei and Akiza are seemingly in love with one another. But here, Yusei cares for Akiza. He doesn't know whether or not he likes Akiza in that way. So even if he loves you, he will still care for Akiza enough to help her when the time comes," Crimson Dragon explained._

"_That's a relief. I don't want this thing that's going on between us to affect what'll happen," Era said._

"_You must be careful, Era, when you are with the Dark Signers again. They will want to use your power to envelop darkness in both this world and your own. As you have already heard," Crimson Dragon said._

"_I understand," she said._

"_I will see you again, child," the red dragon said before disappearing._

_The world that surrounded Era soon faded away as well._

Era gasped as she bolted up. She looked around the room. Akiza, Yusei, and Jack looked at her worried. Leo and Luna had relieved but still worried faced. "Are you okay?" Akiza asked.

"I- I'm fine," Era answered. Her shoulder throbbed where she had a cut but left it alone.

"What happened to you?" Yusei asked.

Era looked at everyone. "T-They searched through my memories. They saw pieces of the show I told you about but the Crimson Dragon kept the important memories and the duel endings out of their reach. They kept electrocuting me with negative energy, trying to get me to their side. When that didn't happen they…" she stopped and pulled her knees up to her forehead. "They told Kalin he could try his way." Era rubbed her hurt shoulder.

"What's 'his way'?" Luna asked.

Era shook her head and tucked her face between her knees. "If it wasn't for you lending me your strength, I would still be stuck there and hurt," she said.

Yusei set a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him. "You're safe now. That's all that matters," he said.

"But for how long?" she asked. "They're going to come back for me. If they get me they'll use my powers to take over both your world and mine."

"How can they take over both worlds? Like you said to Akiza, they're probably light years away from each other," Jack asked.

"Because I will become the portal," she stated vaguely.

"What does that even mean, Era? Where did you hear about the prophecy?" Yusei asked.

"I heard two of the main Dark Signers talking about it. I asked the Crimson Dragon about it. She said, that an hour after the final duel for the last control tower is won, my power will begin to grow beyond control inside of me. If I'm not able to focus the power on just creating a portal, I will be consumed by it and become the portal myself. If that should happen, I will die when the power is exhausted," Era explained using the dragon's words.

"So, you're going to die? You have a time limit on life?" Akiza asked shocked.

"If I can't focus it or control it," Era said.

"And what happens if you can?" Leo asked.

"Then I will be able to go home. But the Crimson Dragon did say that I will keep my mark forever and that if I should survive this, I will have unlocked all my power. That power will allow me to go back and forth between this world and my home," Era said with a small smile about going home.

"Really?" Luna asked.

Era nodded. "But I shouldn't get too excited. That's only if I live," she said.

Everyone was silent. Not only had they hurt her but there was a chance she would die when it was all over. And if she didn't die, she might leave. It was hard to believe. Era swung her legs over the side of the couch and she tried to stand up but a splitting headache kept her to the couch along with a simple round of dizziness.

"Easy there, Era. You should rest," Yusei said caringly.

"But I also need to move. I've been in situations like this before. I just need to move around and this headache and dizziness should be gone within a minute or so," Era retorted.

She got up again this time with no difficulty. She began to walk outside when she felt something. A dark presence of some sort. But, from where? Era decided to worry about that later and move on.

She got herself out to the back garden and went to a tree to lean against. _'It's at least somewhat peaceful here. But soon, the real battle will begin. I need to be ready for when that time comes,' _Era thought.

Era looked around. The dark presence seemed to have followed her. About three meters across from her was something black. A dark, black mist stood there. It stared at her with glowing red eyes.

It looked at her with a toothy grin. "So, you finally see me?" the voice was dark and hoarse.

"Who are you?" Era asked it. "What are you?"

"Me? I'm the dark force that resides in Roman. But don't worry I left part of myself to keep him in my control. I think you can guess where I come from," it asked.

"From the Earthbound Immortal Uru, right?" Era guessed with a scowl.

"That's right. But for much simpler purposes, you can know me for now as just, Uru. My associates are rather impressed with your escape. You are strong indeed but you have a growing fear inside you. And fear is an emotion that feeds the darkness," Uru said with a grin.

"What do you_ think_ I'm afraid of?" Era asked.

Unbeknownst to Era and the mist, Leo was watching the two. When he turned and saw Uru, he gave a frightened expression and ran to Yusei.

"Leo? What's wrong?" Yusei asked. Everyone was looking at Leo now concerned.

"I was heading outside to check on Era when I saw her talking to this scary, black mist thing. It seems to be trying to do something to Era," Leo said fearfully.

"What?!" Yusei exclaimed.

He and Akiza ran out to see what was going on. What they saw concerned and shocked them.

"You heard my question. What do you think I'm afraid of?" Era asked.

"Ha! Ha! You're afraid of your brother's safety! And you're afraid of what the future brings for you and the Signers. Well, neither is good. Your brother is still in the hands of your parents and let's just say, he very scared right now," the black mist said with an evil, maniacal grin.

"No…" Era said fearfully. "You're lying! You're an Earthbound Immortal! A dark spirit! I can't believe anything you say!"

"But you should. I have nothing to hide from you. You fears are growing and with those fears so is the darkness in you. Just let it free and let it consume you. It'll help," the mist said.

She looked at the mist wide eyed. "Era, don't listen to it!" Yusei exclaimed. Era looked at Yusei shocked. "I don't know what's going on but you can't listen to that thing. It's just trying to manipulate you."

The dark mist growled to itself as Era looked at Yusei, a Signer, with a softening, thanking expression. "This is taking far too long!" the spirit exclaimed. They looked at it.

Before anyone could do anything, the black mist wrapped itself around Era. She began to cough and choke as the black mist tried to invade her mind and body. "G-Get out… of me!" she coughed out.

"You will succumb to fear! One way or another! And when that happens you'll be mine!" the mist said. Era dropped to the ground and her hands and knees. Akiza and Yusei ran up to her but when they were at least a foot from reaching her, a force field bounced them back. "You will not interfere, Signer!"

Yusei saw Era's mark shifting from red to purple over and over as her soul battled the darkness that was trying to invade her. "The inner battle is sapping your strength isn't it, _Signer_?" the dark spirit growled. "If you do not succumb, the battle will end up killing you instead of the prophecy."

"Era! Don't give in! Fight it with all your might! Remember what you told me and Crow and everyone about our jobs as Signers! You told us that 'when things get hard, we need to face it full force'! Do that! Face it full force and beat it!" Yusei exclaimed.

'_Yusei's right. I'm not going to give in! I'm going to fight! I will stop Uru from taking me!'_ Era thought.

Era's crunched up eyes burst open and her mark grew bright red. "What's this? How is she resisting my hold?" the mist asked shocked.

"Simple. You think the fear in me will weaken me but you're wrong. It'll only make my light of determination grow brighter and stronger. My brother is safe and I will not give into my fear. I may not know what the future holds for me but I do know what it holds for my friends and I will make sure that future will stay that way. Now get out of me and go back to Roman!" Era exclaimed. Her mark grew bright and energy encased her body in a red glow. The energy released and the dark mist was sent away from her body.

It circled in vortex a few feet from her head and said, "This isn't over Signer! We will see each other again and when we do, you will become one of us." With that it disappeared into nothing.

Era collapsed on the ground her energy almost completely sapped from her body. The last thing she saw from her friends was their worried faces. Then everything went black.

"Yusei, what just happened?" Luna asked scared.

"I'm not sure. But whatever just happened, it obviously wanted Era with the Dark Signers or no one gets to be with her. Thankfully she was able to fight it," Yusei said. "But it looks like it took a lot out of her."

"Let's get her to that spare room that Goodwin had made for her in case she escaped," Akiza suggested.

Yusei nodded and picked Era up. Just as Yusei knew she would be, she was extremely light. But he knew why and was sure she was going to eat soon. The others would make her if she didn't.

Leo and Luna stayed downstairs with Jack while Akiza and Yusei went upstairs to her room. Yusei set Era on her bed carefully. Akiza looked at Yusei who was looking at Era worried.

"You care about her a lot, don't you Yusei?" Akiza asked.

"What?" Yusei asked confused.

"I can see the way you look at her. You love her, Yusei," Akiza responded.

"I-I don't know if I love her or not. Besides, I…" Yusei began but Akiza cut him off. "Yusei, I know you're worried about how I feel but you should know that if you really like Era, which I know you do, then I'm okay with that. I want you to be happy Yusei. Whether that's with Era or not."

"Akiza…" Yusei said.

"I know you love her. And I could tell she loves you, though she is confused why like you are with her. You better confess to her soon before she leaves. If she leaves and you haven't said anything, then we might not be seeing her for a long while." Akiza have a small laugh. "You know, if you did confess and she still wanted to go home for a bit, she would probably want you with her. She did say she could come back after all if she survived."

Yusei looked down in confusion. She couldn't believe she could see through him. But was she right? Did he really love Era? Did Era love him? There were so many questions in his head.

Akiza looked at him. "Yusei, why don't you stay here and watch over Era?" she suggested. He looked at her. "This way if something happens you can be here and when she wakes up she'll see you here and not be alone. It might make her more at ease."

Yusei looked at Era. He nodded. "You're right. I'll stay for now," Yusei gave in. Akiza gave him a smile.

"I'll be around if you or Era need anything," Akiza said and left closing the door behind her.

Yusei sat down on the bed next to her. He looked at her. Her face was peaceful and tired. He saw her burned wrist from the electrocutions they gave her. What he feared was Kalin's way. It made her so quiet and afraid. Whatever Kalin tried to do to her, it traumatized her.

It made him sad. The Kalin he knew protected others. But this Kalin seemed to only hurt others. It made him worry. Yusei shook his head. _'I need to focus on keeping Era and everyone safe. I'm going to have to battle Kalin to stop this from happening. Era's going to want to stay with me, that I know. But I'm worried about Kalin trying to hurt her again,'_ Yusei thought. _'Whatever will happen in the next few days, if I'm going to keep at least Era safe, I'm going to need her with me. Besides no matter who she goes with she'll be seeing one of the Dark Signers again and I'm guessing all of them want her back. I'm going to keep her safe at all costs.'_


	14. Waking Up

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as "Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 12**

**Waking Up**

Yusei waited in her room for three hours. He was worried. She had a lot of energy sapped from her and if she couldn't work at full strength tomorrow what could she do. Akiza had come to check up on them twice already. Her condition just didn't seem to be improving. It really concerned Yusei. Whatever the Dark Signers and that spirit did, it hurt her and it made him mad that they hurt her. But he didn't understand why.

_'Is Akiza right? Am I really in love with her?'_ he thought.

He heard a groan and immediately looked at Era. Her eyes were trying to open and she was looking around the room. Her eyes landed on Yusei and he could tell she felt a sense of relief but also sadness.

"Y-Yusei?" she called.

"It's okay, Era. You're safe now," he said.

"I guess it was just a dream," she muttered.

"What was a dream?" Yusei asked.

"I was home and I guess I shouldn't be very surprised it was a dream. My parents weren't fighting. But maybe… it wasn't a complete dream," Era said.

"Why would you say that?" Yusei asked.

"Because, I was at my house but it was like I was a ghost. No one could see me or hear me. Plus my parents were talking to police. They were asking if they found me yet and the police said they hadn't found anything about me or my brother's whereabouts. I guess maybe I was having a vision of what is happening at home," Era explained. A tear streamed down her face. "My parents looked like they were genuinely scared and concerned. They weren't fighting or anything and it looked like Mom wasn't drinking. I wish I could go back home and tell them I was alright."

Yusei took off his glove put a gentle hand on her face. He rubbed the tear away from her eyes and Era leaned her head against his hand. She felt so comforted by his presence and help.

Yusei felt a warm, caring sensation fill his body. He looked at her and her beautiful, forest green eyes. He got lost in them again. Era stared into his cobalt blue eyes and could tell she was getting lost in them. But she couldn't pull away. Something seemed to lock the two together.

_'This feeling. Am I in love?' _she thought through many other reasons for this feeling but only one seemed to fit the bill. _'I am in love. But… the Crimson Dragon did say Yusei doesn't feel that way like in the show, but I don't want to hurt Akiza.'_

_"But you won't, child," _the Crimson Dragon's voice spoke.

She wanted to look for the red dragon but her gaze was officially locked on Yusei's_. "When you were out, Akiza told Yusei that she wanted Yusei to be happy. And she was fine if that was with you or not. She won't be hurt if you two fall in love," _the Crimson Dragon said. _"Do not worry."_

Suddenly, all the worry vanished from Era's mind. The Crimson Dragon's words seemed to have soothed her mind. Era felt Yusei and her being pulled into each other for a kiss. A kiss they couldn't seem to stop.

Yusei couldn't ignore the pull that attracted him to Era. He realized Akiza was right. What he was feeling was love, much to his disbelief. He was in love with Era, a human who was amazing and, literally, out of this world.

When their lips met, fire was set off between them. It burned with a passion and they couldn't help but feel this undeniable love that was put between them become strong and unyielding. The world seemed to melt around them and disappeared.

They didn't know how long they kissed but when they broke they looked at each other with unexpected happiness. "Era, I…" Yusei began but stopped. _'I might as well say it. I love her and Akiza was right. I should confess while I can,' _he thought. "I love you."

"Yusei, I… love you too," Era admitted. It shocked her that she did. And it frightened her, but she wasn't going to let it control her. _'I can't believe I've fallen in love with Yusei Fudo. Then again, ever since I first saw Yusei on television, I've always wanted him as a boyfriend,'_ she thought.

They were about to kiss again when a knock was heard on the door. They immediately looked like they were fine and nothing happened. Akiza walked in and smiled when she saw Era up. "Era, it's good to see you up. Are you feeling okay? After that black mist encased you and you set yourself free, you were knocked out for about three hours," she informed.

"I'm okay. I just should rest a bit more before tomorrow, I'm guessing that's when we're leaving," Era said.

"Yeah, I kind of figured you would know that because of your world. We will be having dinner in about five minutes so come down when you're ready," Akiza said just before leaving.

"And you're going to eat," Yusei said.

"But… I don't want to take the food," Era said.

"Era, it's not like any of us are hurt or sick. You need the strength more than any of us at this point. The Dark Signers and that mist sapped a lot of your strength and you need it. The food will help," Yusei reasoned. Era looked down. "I know it doesn't seem like you but this isn't your normal situation. You need the food and strength if we're going to take down the Dark Signers."

"Okay," Era agreed reluctantly.

Yusei kissed her forehead with care before looking at her with calming eyes. "Come on. Food should be ready in a couple more minutes," Yusei said standing and holding out a hand.

She took it and stood up with Yusei. They walked out together and Era went down stair first so Yusei could catch her if she needed it.

When they reached the dining room Jack was waiting patiently and looked at Yusei with a subtle glare. The twins got up from their seats and ran up to Era. They hugged her with relief and Era hugged them back kindly.

"Thank goodness you're okay!" Luna exclaimed.

"Yeah, we don't know what we would do without you! Or Yusei," Leo added.

"I'm okay, guys. Thanks for your concern," Era responded. The twins went back over to their spot while Era went over to find Akiza in the kitchen. "What are you making, Akiza?"

"I was thinking maybe Chicken Alfredo. Do you like it?" Akiza asked.

"Yeah, it's actually one of my favorite dishes," Era said with a smile. "I didn't know you cooked."

"Well, I heard from Yusei that you cook pretty good too," Akiza said.

"I wouldn't say I am that great. I've just had practice," Era responded.

"Well, if we ever need to eat, I want you to cook so we can all try it," Akiza said with a smile. "Yusei barely ever exaggerates."

"I guess you're right. If we ever need me to cook, I'll cook," Era gave in.

Akiza smiled. _'She certainly is kind,'_ Akiza thought_. 'I wonder what happened to her that made her more caring about others rather than herself.'_

"Well, dinner's ready," Akiza said placing the meal on the plates.

Akiza and Era carried the food out to everyone and it wasn't long before they dug in. "Nice cooking, Akiza," Luna complimented.

"I agree," Era asked. She hadn't eaten a lot but she had to admit it was very good.

But it still felt so wrong to eat the food. She could rarely go out to restaurants and feel okay with eating their food. So eating something that she was there when they were making it made her feel wrong.

"Era, why aren't you eating?" Jack asked. "If you think it's good, why aren't you eating much?"

"Just my natural conscience. I can rarely eat food that someone else makes and I never really eat any food unless I'm starving. Especially if someone else needs the food, like my little brother," she answered.

"She was the same way when we were over at Martha's. I had a hard time convincing her to eat. Even when she did, she felt bad about it and I had never seen her eat. And in total it was about three days," Yusei informed.

"I can't believe you wouldn't eat like that. How can someone go three days without food?" Akiza asked.

"It's my nature. Back at home, money's low all the time because of Mom and her beers. When we do have enough money for food, I get enough so we still have money for bills and any leftover for food. But I make sure my baby brother gets all the food he needs to grow. Even if it means that I won't eat for the day. My body's used to the lack of food and I'm not as hungry as I should be," Era explained. "The food is really good, Akiza. It's just I feel wrong eating the food because of my natural feelings and actions."

"I get it. But you still need to eat. After today, you need the food," Akiza said.

"I know," Era said.

Everyone smiled as she reluctantly kept eating. Yusei was relieved she wasn't putting herself down too much. Everyone soon kept talking about tomorrow and their plans. But Era stayed silent.

"So, Era, what was that thing you were talking to?" Luna asked.

Era looked at everyone and their expectant faces. "It was one of the Earthbound Immortal in its spirit form. It left part of itself with its Dark Signer to keep him in its control but came to try to pull me over. It was the Earthbound Immortal Uru," she explained.

"Did you say Earthbound Immortal?" Yusei asked.

Era nodded. "There are five main Earthbound Immortals. Uru the Spider, Aslla Piscu the Hummingbird, Ccapac Apu the Giant, Ccarayhua the Lizard, and Cusillu the Monkey. Then there are two others to come after the main ones," Era explained. She wasn't sure if that was too much information but they'll learn more about the rest. "You already faced one of them, Yusei. Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu. These will be one of the hardest cards you will ever face." She muttered, "I'm not sure which was harder for them though. The Earthbound Immortals or the Meklord Emperors." Thankfully no one seemed to hear the last part.

"What do you mean by one of them? What other cards out there will be harder than the Earthbound Immortals?" Jack asked.

"I really shouldn't say. It's too far in your future and if I told you it could affect how it works out," she answered.

"Can't you give us a hint? Tell us something to expect from it," Leo asked.

Era shook your head. "If I told you what to expect from it, it may hurt the future," she said with regret in her voice. "That is if this plays out like from what I know."

"It's still hard to believe you know all about our future. Everything that may come if it stays the same," Akiza said.

"I'm worried about what the Dark Signers know now. They may have not seen the end of your duels but they probably did see a lot of it. That may change the way it plays out," Era said. "So you all need to be careful. If they know what happens, you need to watch your strategies. Try to think of some different counter attacks and counter traps and spells. Some things that you normally wouldn't do."

They nodded understanding. Everyone was soon finished and Era went up to her room early to rest up for tomorrow.


	15. Meeting the Director

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 13**

**Meeting the Director**

Era looked at the clock. _'1:10 in the morning?! Why can't I fall back asleep?'_ she thought with a quiet groan. She had fallen asleep quite easily when she first came up but she woke up around ten pm and couldn't fall back asleep.

She stood up and went to the window. The stars were bright that night and looking at them calmed her down. The moon gazed upon the city. _'I wonder if this moon has a guardian of this Earth. Just like how the Crimson Dragon said my Earth had her brother guarding it,'_ she thought.

She sighed. She quietly asked herself, "Will I go home? If I really care about Yusei like I know I do, will I want to go home?" A knock came at her door and she called, "Come in."

Yusei stepped in. "I thought I heard some shuffling coming from up here. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, just can't sleep," Era answered looking back at the star covered sky.

"You were asleep earlier. Did something happen?" Yusei asked concerned.

"No, just woke up at ten for some reason and can't fall back asleep," she explained. "Looking at the stars tends to help me. I have my bed right next to my window at home for that reason."

Yusei walked over and put his hands on her shoulders gently. Careful not to push on the scratches and bruises to hard. She set a hand on his while looking at him. She turned to him and leaned against his chest. Yusei wrapped his arms around her and set his chin on her head.

She relaxed against him and his comforting presence. The stars helped too as they always did. Yusei walked her over to her bed and laid her back down and pulling the sheets over her skinny body.

She gave a sleepy smile at him. He sat there and kept company until she fell back asleep. When she back asleep, he kissed her forehead before leaving the room.

'_Tomorrow's going to be a long day and we all need our rest,'_ Yusei thought as he entered his room. He silently closed the door and went back to sleep himself.

The morning came early and as always Yusei and Era were the first ones up. "Are you ready for today?" Yusei asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be. I mean, I know how this'll play out if it goes as similarly as I hope it will. But for me, it's different when you're watching someone play the story out on television than actually being a part of it. It's actually kind of scary thinking about how I'll see all this play out with my own eyes and it won't be on an electronic screen," Era responded.

"We'll be fine. Era, I was thinking. When we face these Dark Signers, you're going to need someone with you. Why don't you come with me? Be on the sidelines so I know you're safe while I take down Kalin," Yusei suggested.

Era nodded. "To be honest, I think that may be a good idea. If the Dark Signers are after me, I'll need to be with someone I trust. Besides, I have to face Kalin one way or another. Yusei, I know the truth." He looked at her. "I know what happened between you and Kalin. He just misunderstood what happened and he'll learn it at some point. I hope he didn't see that part in my memories because then he might not believe you or Crow."

"Yeah," he agreed.

They looked at the clock. Nine o'clock am. They were meeting Goodwin at eleven. "How are we going to wake the others up?" Yusei asked.

"I know how to wake Leo up. He'll then wake Luna up and who knows about Jack and Akiza," Era said.

"You're saying food?" Yusei asked.

She nodded. She went into the kitchen and decided she would make pancakes. She looked around for the ingredients and found them all. "Let's see if the food will wake them first. I can make bacon with it," Era said.

She got the bacon and cooked that first. Within the first ten minutes, and just after Era finished the bacon and started the pancakes, Leo and Luna were down. "Who's cooking?" Luna asked.

"Era," Yusei said. They looked at the kitchen and hurried in.

"What are you making?" Leo asked.

"Pancakes and bacon. Hope you don't mind," she answered.

"Mind? We love pancakes!" Luna exclaimed.

"And bacon!" Leo continued.

Era laughed and continued cooking. Fifteen minutes later the food was about done and Akiza and Jack were dressed and down.

"What're you making, Era?" Akiza asked.

"I actually smell bacon. Been a while since I've had that," Jack said.

"You smell bacon because I made bacon and pancakes," Era said.

She grabbed the plate with about eleven pancakes on it to share, the syrup she heated in the microwave, and butter if anyone wanted it. She brought it to the dining room where the twins were eagerly waiting and Akiza and Jack took their seats along with Yusei. She set the plates down. The twins grabbed two pieces as well as Yusei, Jack, and Akiza. Era grabbed her usual one.

She quickly went over to the fridge and poured herself some milk before returning to the room. "Who drinks milk with their breakfast?" Jack asked.

"My family does. Ever since I was a baby, we would have milk with breakfast, lunch if we had it, and dinner. It keeps your bones strong and healthy. If we didn't have milk we would just have water seeing it would be better than anything else in the house to drink. If we had anything else," Era answered. "Plus it's not really that bad with pancakes. My brother loves to have milk. Not just because he's a baby, he just likes it. He doesn't really like juice. He actually began talking when I came here. He used his own little word to ask for milk. I guess you could call it a tradition."

Everyone ate and talked. Leo and Luna ate with pure pleasure, Jack was surprised how skilled of a cook Era was, Akiza enjoyed it with a smile, and Yusei looked at Era with an approving grin.

Once everyone was done, it was about ten minutes before they had to leave. Era washed the dishes as she was always willing to do but Akiza insisted on helping since Era cooked for everyone.

After that, everyone finished getting ready for the trip they were going on. Jack and Yusei got on their duel runners. Era decided she would ride with Yusei since she wasn't really a fan of limos, much to Jack's dismay.

When they arrived they went to the room of the building where the helicopter was. Goodwin and his assistant Lazar were waiting patiently.

Era looked down at the ground. Seeing them made her nervous. She knew what Goodwin's full plan was but she wasn't sure if she bring it up. Just then, Goodwin mentioned something that perked everyone's interest but not so much hers and she already knew it. "It's ironic. In a twist of fate, the original Ener-D reactor was constructed by Yusei's father."

"Wait, are you sure? Do you mean our Yusei?" Leo asked.

Yusei was silent. Era wrapped gripped his hand to tell him it was okay. He then looked up at Goodwin who slanted his head. "Yusei?"

"Goodwin, if we succeed, I want you to finish building the bridge between here and the Satellite," Yusei demanded as Era suspected.

"I'm not sure that is possible, Yusei." Goodwin replied.

"But it _is_ possible," Era chimed in. "I know it is."

Goodwin looked at Era and studied her. "Who might you be? How do you know that it is possible?"

She slid down her sleeve to reveal her mark. Goodwin went wide eyed. "I am Era Windser and the Celestial Signer. I know things that you can't possibly know yet because of where I come from. But I do know your secret, Goodwin. That little plan that you have thought about in your head," Era said.

Everyone looked at her while Goodwin glared. "How would you know I have such a plan? Where do you come from that would allow you to know if I do?" he asked calmly but didn't release his glare.

"I'm not going to tell you what I know. I've seen the ending and I know how this might play out if it goes the way it should. I wouldn't trust you even if my life depended on it. I will help save this world but I won't help_ you_ specifically," Era retorted. "But one thing I know is possible is the ability to bring people together. If we're going to save the world, we should make it mean something. And if we keep it like this, full of misery and hatred, then there really isn't a saved world. People will still be miserable, people will still hate one another, people's hearts will be engulfed in their own darkness."

Goodwin looked at her and studied her further. He sighed. "Fine. If it you succeed, then we shall see to it," he gave in. "Now you're pilot might be one you all already know."

The door opened and Trudge was waiting there. "I can't believe I have to fly economy class," he grunted.

Yusei and Era eyed Goodwin a bit more while the others boarded.

"Are you coming or not, pretty boy?" Trudge yelled at Yusei. He gently tugged Era's hand with him as the two of them finally boarded.

The officer squinted. "Hey, who are you?" he asked.

"Hello, Trudge. It's… interesting to finally meet you. I'm Era and a Signer Goodwin needed to help to him," Era replied promptly.

He shook his head. "And you hang out with the likes of him? Nothing makes sense anymore! Why would you hang out with him? He's a Satellite reject," Trudge asked.

"There are things about him that'll surprise you Trudge. You'll learn about them soon enough," Era responded.

She said nothing else as she went inside leaving Trudge staring at her dumbfounded.

Yusei promptly sat next to her. Trudge finally came inside after getting out of his shock and launched the helicopter into the air. But, all the while there was an uneasy silence between everyone on board.


	16. Back Again

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 14**

**Back Again**

After a while, they passed through the barrier of black clouds, lightning crackling around them. Trudge looked back at everyone. "Is this lightning bothering anyone else? One strike and we're finished. I say we should turn this bird around."

"Our primary directive is to reach Satellite," Mina, who was like Jack's informer and partial caretaker, firmly refused his offer.

Trudge's face turned red as he looked back. As they went along, another thought came to his mind. "How did someone like Yusei's dad get such an important job if he was from the Satellite?" Trudge wondered.

Jack glared at him. "Yusei and his dad were born in New Domino City," he said.

"So you're saying this Satellite reject isn't actually a Satellite reject?" Trudge asked.

Jack growled. "I'm from the Satellite, Trudge. Got a problem with that?"

Trudge shook his head. "No, of course not."

"That's right. Turn your head around." Yusei ignored Trudge's words.

Era reached out her hand, but he stroked it to reassure her that he wasn't bothered. He stood up and leaned over Trudge as he looked down at the ground of the Satellite.

"Set us down by those trees in the park," he requested. Trudge cocked his head.

"Do as he says," Mina urged him.

Trudge yieldingly pulled down the control stick as the helicopter softly landed. Nearby was Martha's house.

She waited outside with Blister as a small band of children came to greet the Signers as they came off from the helicopter. Martha smiled to see everyone doing well. A swarm of kid crowded around Jack.

"Hey everyone, isn't that Jack Atlas?" a kid said.

"Wow, you're right!" another exclaimed.

Jack felt slightly strange having so many small fans swarming over him. He had felt isolated and rejected since the Fortune Cup. Leo and Luna scratched their heads, surprised to see everyone in such a cheery mood. Era grinned happy to see everyone.

"I thought everyone in the Satellite would be all creepy and sad," Luna said.

"That's how they trick you," Trudge scoffed.

Blister smirked at him. "Oh yes, we're terrible, aren't we?"

Just then, a small boy in a yellow sweatshirt and shorts approached him. His blue hair was messy, but could not conceal the zeal in his brown eyes. "Hey, are you Sector Security, mister?"

"What if I am?" Trudge grunted. The boy want unaffected by his disgruntled mood. He laughed with delight.

"That is so cool! I want to be Sector Security someday!" he cheered.

Trudge perked up. "Do you now? Play your cards right and you could look as good as me in this uniform."

Both of them chuckled. Martha looked over the crowd and saw Era and Yusei. "Era, it's good to see you and Yusei again. How have you two been since leaving?" she greeted.

"We're doing fine, Martha. I have to admit, I've actually missed you," Era said.

Martha smiled and gathered everyone in the house. The Signers, Mina, Trudge, Martha, Rally, Era and Blister sat around the dining room table. Her expression turned somber.

"I'm glad to see you and the kids are doing fine," Era said.

Martha thanked her. "Yes. Fortunately the fog didn't come here. But it's taken everyone else. There hasn't been word from Crow, and I don't know about your other friends besides Rally, Yusei."

"Don't worry, Martha. They're all safe in New Domino City! We managed to escape not too long ago with Blister's help!" Rally chimed in.

Era grew nervous. "What if… the fog has taken Crow?" Era muttered worried.

Yusei, who sat next to her, placed a hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her. "It's okay. We don't know for sure," he said but he couldn't help but worry himself. But he wasn't going to tell her that.

Just then, there was the sound of slamming on the front door. "Who could that be?" Martha asked.

"Hey! Hey! Is any soul in there? I'm still alive! It's me, Crow! Just let me in if you can hear me!" came Crow's voice.

Era instantly relaxed as she heard her friend's voice. She got up from the table and hurried to the door to let Crow in. Martha smiled at her being a true friend.

Crow was caught off guard when Era opened the door. Crow blinked in surprise she smiled with relief at him.

"I was worried about you. I'm glad the fog didn't take you, my friend," Era said relief clear in her voice.

"Don't worry, I'm alright. How's everyone else?" Crow asked.

"They're fine and they're all here," Era said and they walked in.

Era took her seat next to Yusei who gripped her hand with a small smile. Martha noticed Akiza sitting quietly near Era and Yusei. She widened her eyes slightly. Akiza looked up.

"So, you're that Senator's daughter, aren't you?" Martha asked.

"Oh… yes. Guilty as charged," she said.

Martha smiled. "I've heard about you. You're right Yusei, she's very pretty."

Akiza's face turned red for a moment, but it quickly faded. Era's eyes wandered, trying to avoid feeling jealous. But once she looked at Akiza, she couldn't help but smile at her new-found friend.

"But I have to say it's nice to see all of you here. I'm already impressed with how many friends you made so quickly Era. Yusei told me you were quite nervous when him and Crow first met you," Martha said.

"You could say she has a lot of people looking out for her…some more than others. She's lucky that way," Akiza said.

"No, Akiza. I was never one for making friends but I know one thing. Friends are not only people who look out for one another, but friends are people who care, respect, and are kind to one another. I wasn't really expecting to find that here but I did and I couldn't ask for better friends," Era corrected.

"Hold on, why are you calling me a friend?" Jack intervened. "It's not like you could say we would watch out for one another."

"Because Jack, I know you respect me and are kind to me at times. Plus when times come to it, you do watch out for me," Era said. "You don't need every one of the things I mentioned to call someone a friend. Just enough to say that you feel they are."

"Jack, like it or not, we have to be friends! It may have been said before, but I mean it when I say we need to move forward. It's our friendship that will make all the difference in this fight," Yusei said.

Martha laughed. _'She really has grown up. More than when I first met her and it's the same with Yusei,'_ she thought. "Listen to you two. You sound like you're becoming quite the man, Yusei. And you're really becoming the wise woman, aren't you Era?"

Era blushed awkwardly and Yusei looked at Martha a bit tense. Everyone was silent.

"Well, you should all eat. You can't save the world on an empty stomach!" Martha called everyone's attention.

Era immediately stood to help. "Do you need help, Martha?" she asked.

"Why would I ever deny your help, Era?" Martha said with a smile. "Of course, you can. I really appreciated all your help last time, Era."

Everyone scattered to various places. Yusei was the last one to leave and walked over to Era who was making lunch, which was beef stew.

"Are you sure you're ready to fight Kalin?" she asked out of the blue.

"Yeah. I'm not afraid to fight him because we used to be friends anymore. My friends are right here, and we'll save our homes together," he said.

"That's good to know. I mean, I was pretty sure you were going to say that from my knowledge but hey, can never be too sure. Right?" Era said.

"Right," Yusei said with a grin.

Martha got up from the table and smiled at the sight of Yusei and Era. Yusei left and went outside. She went over to Era. "So I see you and Yusei really hit it off," she said.

"Wait, what?" Era said.

"I saw you two talking. You've obviously told each other how you feel," Martha said with a smile.

"How did you know how we feel? Is that why you put me in charge of Yusei that day?" Era asked.

"I could tell you guys had feelings for each other when you looked at one another. In my opinion you guys are a perfect match," Martha responded.

"I-I, uh," Era began but couldn't finish so she turned her attention back to the stew which was finished. "Well, the foods done. We'll probably have leftovers for later."

Everyone came to the table and began to eat. Most were tasting it first because they weren't sure who made it.

"It's very good," Leo said with a quiet surprise. Luna took a taste, as did the others afterwards. The children thanked Era for helping since they knew who made it by the taste. The police officer stared down at his food anxiously.

"Aren't you going to try your food, Trudge? It's really good," Luna asked.

Trudge looked at her. He blew on his soup and tasted it. His face turned red. "It's too spicy!" He muttered.

Era grinned. "How? I only put a touch of pepper in it? It adds flavor," she said.

Crow chuckled at Trudge shocked look.

"Don't worry about him, Era. He's probably the only one here who doesn't like it. I think the soup is lovely," Martha said.

"You know me, I don't really care what the smaller portion thinks. As long as most people like it, I'm happy," Era said.

The meal continued with small conversation here and there. However, a wind started to pick up after a while and the windows began to rattle. One of the kids started to shiver. Era felt a sudden pain run up her spine.

"Someone's coming," Era said.

Everyone looked at her in silent disturbance. Crow looked out the window. The windows suddenly shattered. A child yelped in the background. Yusei jumped up from the table to look outside.

The Signers looked down as the marks on their arms glowed. Era's mark glowed the brightest. Era took a deep breath to keep calm and took a minute to help Crow in keeping the children calm.

After they were calm enough, Era moved up. She knew who was here. "A Dark Signer is here," she said.

"I know. I think all of us can feel it," Akiza said.

A man emerged from the shadows, armed with a Duel Disk. His black robe had a red tinge. It didn't take Era even a second to recognize it.

"That's the leader," Era said.

"The leader of the Dark Signers?" Yusei thought aloud.

Era jumped out of the window and stood defiantly in the man's way, clenching her fists. "You have no right to come here and cause harm to these people. Leave now. I've dealt with Kalin and you once and I'll do it again," Era said.

"I see you remember me well, Celestial Signer." He lifted his hood, revealing pale silver hair tied back. His bold face was painted like an ancient warrior and his eyes were dark.

"For those who don't know, I am Roman and I am a Dark Signer. I have come to challenge you, Celestial Signer and one the Signers to a match… if either or both of you dare," he growled.

Era's breath caught. _'I've never dueled before in my life,'_ she thought nervously.

"_Era,"_ called the Crimson Dragon. She looked up to see the red dragon hovering above her. _"You will instinctually know how to duel. You can beat him but you will need Yusei's help."_ Era nodded.

"Hey!" Crow shouted as he chucked a Duel Disk to Era.

"You're going to need that, in case you forgot!" he called.

Era blinked. "It's red," she said. "Perfect."

"Yeah, consider it a present from me. You'll need one in the long run. Now go and shut this guy down!" Crow said.

Yusei mounted his Runner. "I'm coming with you," he told her.

Roman snickered. "I was hoping you'd say that… Yusei Fudo. So what do you say we go to our battleground?" Roman disappeared.

Era looked at her friends. "Everyone else needs to stay here. We can't risk losing anyone to the Earthbound Immortals. As far as they are concerned, we're just another source of energy for them."

She got on Yusei's duel runner. Akiza jumped over. "I don't care about the Earthbound Immortals. I'm coming too. You'll need the support," she said.

She pulled out her Black Rose Dragon. "Come give me a ride, Black Rose Dragon," Akiza said. Her dragon emerged in front of the house. Leo and Luna gasped. Crow was somewhat unnerved. Trudge was also in disbelief.

_'There's no changing her mind now,'_ Era thought.

"Whatever you say, Akiza. If you want to, come. But I'm ready," Era said.

"We'll hold the fort here!" Crow called back, Rally waved to them.

Yusei nodded and started his engine. The group going to face the Dark Signer departed, leaving the rest of them back at the house.


	17. First Battle- Part 1

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 15**

**First Battle- Part 1**

Roman waited patiently for Era and Yusei not too far away, in a barren, shallow crater. He held his Earthbound Immortal card in his hand.

Demak stood nearby. Roman looked up. "What is it?" Roman asked nonchalantly.

"Are you certain this is a good idea?" he asked.

"Yes. Would you please go check on our prisoner for me? I want to make sure he hasn't tried to take a sneak peak at what's about to ensue," Roman told him, slightly irritated. Demak bowed and left with haste. "After all these years…Your son is among those to face me…"

Roman smirked when he saw an the petal covered dragon coming towards him. The sound of an engine was not too far off.

He inserted his deck into his duel disk and stood at one end of the crater, ready to duel. The dragon landed at the other end as Yusei caught up to them and disengaged his disk from his Runner. Akiza recalled her dragon after she quickly jumped off and found a nearby place to watch the duel.

"I'll be here and cheering you on," Akiza mouthed. Era nodded telling her that she understood.

"So, who do I have the pleasure of defeating first?" Roman sneered.

Era gulped. She had to face a real Dark Signer now. Chances were he was incredibly powerful compared to the Shadow Drones she had seen before and there was no telling how much stronger he was than in the show.

Yusei stood across the crater, and put his hand over his deck. "I'll go…" he began but Era grabbed his hand and took it in hers.

"So, Roman, you wouldn't find it unfair if we both took you on together, right?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm on the word 'unfair'. Roman was amused by this and raised his hand.

"An irregular two on one is what you're suggesting, am I correct? I have no objection to this. But, what about your partner?" he said.

"Era… I…" Yusei attempted to gently protest. But Era shook her head.

"As the Celestial… and as someone who cares… I want to help any way I can. I may be a beginner duelist, but it doesn't mean I can't bring it. According to the Crimson Dragon, I'll know how to play instinctually," she said. Yusei gave her a confused look. "Don't ask me how because I don't know myself. Besides, if nothing else, I can make you stronger!"

Yusei looked away, still leaning against the proposal. But Era wouldn't give up. She forced herself to look him in the eye.

"I want to help you, and I'm definitely not just going to stand and watch helplessly while you get clobbered," she said.

She remembered Yusei's duel with Kalin and tried not to have an emotional spasm. Roman rolled his eyes. _'Her passion could be both an asset and a disadvantage to her,'_ he thought. _'Such is the flaw of being an adolescent girl.'_

Yusei cupped her cheek and tilted her head up so seeing eye to eye would be easier for her. A smile came and went in a split second.

"I didn't think it weighed so much on your mind. I guess I was wrong in that assumption," He paused for a moment, "But I would be more than happy to have you by my side as my duel partner."

Yusei noticed a spark in Era's eyes. He slowly withdrew his hand as she turned her attention back to Roman. She took a few steps away from Yusei and activated her disk.

Everyone readied themselves. A purple streak formed around them as violet flames licked at the air. Roman's arm glowed with the mark of the spider.

Yusei and Era were each at 4000 life points, while Roman was given 8000 to even out the fact he was outnumbered. In addition, he was given the first move. Everyone's decks were shuffled and they each drew their hands.

Roman drew his sixth card, starting his turn. He smiled as he revealed his first move, flipping his card around to show it to his two opponents.

"I special summon the Dark Tuner- Spider Cocoon from my hand!" A sickly mass appeared on the field. Era felt perplexed by the high level of his monster, but assumed that an explanation would follow. She didn't understand why she didn't know this already. But both her and Yusei knew it could only mean one thing, and that was a Dark Synchro Summon. (Dark Tuner- Spider Cocoon is a level five Dark attributed Insect Dark Tuner monster with zero attack points and zero defense points.)

"When nobody has a monster on their field and it's my turn, I can special summon Spider Cocoon without releasing a monster first. In addition, I summon Dark Spider from my hand." He placed another card next to Spider Cocoon. A spider about the size of a big dog emerged, with black fuzz and menacing red eyes. Roman raised his hand and explained his next move. (Dark Spider is a level one Dark attributed Insect monster with no attack or defense points.) "My Dark Spider allows me to increase the level of one Insect on my field by two until the end phase, and so I use this to upgrade Spider Cocoon to level seven." The Cocoon seemed to grow in size. Sidney and Yusei watched as Roman began his Dark Synchro summon. "I tune my Dark Tuner- Spider Cocoon with Dark Spider, in order to perform my Dark Synchro Summon," He declared, "When shadows are swallowed by darker shadows, the eyes of the netherworld are opened to witness an act of its dark ruler! So I call from the abyss …my Underground Arachnid!" A huge, midnight black spider emerged, with the head and torso of a sickly green human with pink hair. Two of its eight legs rose up, awaiting a command from Roman. (Underground Arachnid is a level negative six Earth attributed Insect Dark Synchro monster with 2400 attack points and 1200 defense points. Roman pulled another card from his hand. "I'll end my turn with a face down. I believe it is now Yusei's turn."

Yusei drew a card, checking his hand carefully. Right of the bat, he would have to deal with a powerful monster, and chances were Era would do the same. The best he could do was prepare for a counter move. "I start by summoning Quillbolt Hedgehog in defense mode." A golden rodent with bolt and machine parts protruding from its back stared down the giant monster. It turned blue as it readied itself for an assault. (Quillbolt Hedgehog is a level two Earth attributed Machine with 800 attack and defense points.) Yusei finished his turn with a facedown card. For now, he could stall for time until he could get a stronger monster on the field to destroy Underground Arachnid.

Era then drew a card from her deck. She knew Yusei's move. She placed on her disk. "I summon Electric Lightning Bird in attack mode and activate its special ability!" A black and yellow bird about the size of a medium sized dog. Lightning and electricity shot in all directions out of it. (Electric Lightning Bird is a level four Light attributed Winged-Beast with 1600 attack points and 1000 defense points.) "When I summon Electric Lightning Bird, I can immediately inflict direct damage to my opponent equal to it attack points." The bird opened its wings and lightning shot at Roman.

It hit him and Roman growled. He grunted as the electricity burned at his cape. His life points dropped to 6400 and the pillar quickly disappeared. He smirked. "Is that all?"

"I'm not finished. I'm going to activate it's other ability!" she exclaimed.

"What?!" he said.

"When Electric Lightning Bird's ability successfully deals damage, I get to special summon a level four or below _tuner_ monster from my deck," Era informed. "So come on out, Stargazer Dragon!" She placed the card on the field. A black dragon took to the field with its scales making it look like it was covered in stars. (Stargazer Dragon is a level three Light attributed Dragon Tuner monster with 1300 attack points and 1400 defense points.) "Usually, I'm only allow to summon one monster per turn unless it has a special ability. I shouldn't even be allow to Synchro Summon but guess what? Stargazer Dragon's ability lets me Synchro Summon automatically. And you won't believe my monster because it's out of this world. I tune my Stargazer Dragon with my Electric Lightning Bird to Synchro Summon! When the cosmos is in danger only the light can prevail to keep balance. Come forth, Cosmic Dragon!" Era exclaimed. A white, serpent dragon appeared from a sparkling white veil. Its eyes were a dark blue. Its wings shifted and merged with colors. It had a six-pointed star on it forehead and had long arms. (Cosmic Dragon is a level seven Light attributed Dragon Synchro monster with 2800 attack points and 3000 defense points.) "And then I'll end my turn with two face downs. It's your move, Roman."

"You are very strong. I must admit, I never expected a person who has never played duel monsters to be such a strong opponent. But your strength will only go so far. Though I'm sure you know that. I draw." Roman drew his card. He eyed Yusei, who was watching him intently. "You really have grown to be the spitting image of your father, Yusei," Roman said.

Yusei's eyes widened. "You knew my father?"

"Back when he was working on the Momentum Project in the RRD, I was his assistant, working alongside him and my younger brother… Rex Goodwin."

Era wasn't sure what to say, but she already knew this so she kept quiet. Let it play out on its own.

"Are you playing the silent treatment, dear Era? Oh, but you know enough to know everything about me and my brother. And what happened between me and his father," Roman said. Yusei looked at her with shock. Era stared silent and eyed Roman. Roman narrowed his eyes. He pulled a card from his hand.

"I'm sure there are many things you've kept from Yusei and the Signers. Right, Celestial Signer? Is it because you think it will change the future you think will happen? Or because you want to hide it for their sakes?" Roman taunted. Era glared at him. He looked at his card.

"Era, what is he talking about?" Yusei asked but then changed back to Roman and his father. Much to Era's relief. She would have to talk sooner or later but now wasn't the time. "If you know my father…what happened? How did you become a Dark Signer?" Yusei demanded.

Roman set another card face down on the field. "The whole story is much longer, but for now, I will give you the simple version. After some experiments, Professor Fudo realized that Momentum was dangerous and moved to terminate the project. The leaders of New Domino City had made a lot of investment in it. They tried to force him to continue," He explained. "When he refused, they put me in charge. I continued, and then… Zero Reverse happened. Many people were killed in the explosion and several more were killed or injured by the split of the Satellite from the mainland. I was among the dead. But the Earthbound Immortals revived me as one of the first Dark Signers. Another Dark Signer by the name of Demak also became a Dark Signer by cause of the Zero Reverse incident. But that's neither here nor there, is it?" Era grimaced. That wasn't the entire story.

"Then what are you?" she asked trying to stay subtle.

"I was just reborn, entirely! I am not some undead monstrosity like something from a teen horror film you might have seen. Now it's time to attack." Underground Arachnid set its sights on Yusei's hedgehog.

"Before you can enter your Battle Phase, I've got a surprise for you, Roman! It's a trap card called Angel's Call!" Her facedown card was revealed.

"What does that do?" Roman asked angered.

"When I have a Light attributed monster on my field, I'm allow to destroy one monster on your field and then you're dealt one thousand points of damage!" Era informed.

"You wish to destroy my Arachnid? Very well," Roman said but had anger boiling in his voice from the damage it would cause.

"Yep, that what I'm going to do. Let's take down you're spider," Era said. A person in a white robe and pure white wings came down from the sky. Its eyes flashed open to reveal sickly green eyes.

She beat its wings hard and gusts of wind blew through the air. The Underground Arachnid was destroyed and Roman's life points dropped to 5400.

"Nice job, Era," Yusei complimented.

Roman growled. "I may have lost life points but you wasted your card in another way. I summon Ground Spider in defense mode!" Roman said.

The spider that appeared was half of Roman's height and had red points on its legs. It rolled its plump body into a ball as it assumed defense position. (Ground Spider is a level four Earth attributed Insect monster with 0 attack and 1500 defense points.) "When my spider is in defense mode, I can switch one monster to defense mode once per turn, and I choose to switch your Cosmic Dragon to defense."

A tight web formed around Era's monster, forcing it down it to wrap its wings in defense, causing it to color blue. _'Why would he put my monster in defense mode?' _Era thought struggling to remember his next play. But, the expression on Roman's face told her he wasn't done yet. "I end my turn by playing the Field Spell, Spider's Web!" A giant Spider Web crisscrossed over the crater and under everyone's feet. A field spell hinted that the possibility of his Earthbound Immortals arrival was close at hand.

As Yusei drew his next card, he realized he and Era would have to act quickly. "I start my turn by summoning Junk Synchron to the field in attack mode." His orange, mechanical companion emerged, its white scarf fluttering in the wind. Yusei was ready for his own Synchro Summon. Roman knew this and was unmoved. (Junk Synchron is a level three Dark attributed Warrior Tuner monster with 1300 attack and 500 defense points.) "I tune my Junk Synchron with my Hedgehog to Synchro summon Junk Warrior!" Yusei declared. Junk Synchron pulled a lever in its back. It melted away into three white orbs of light that surrounded Quillbolt Hedgehog. In a flash of light, it was gone, and a tall blue mechanical warrior in a scarf came charging forth. Its red eyes glowed with anticipation at the spider as it clenched its fist. "I'll also equip my Junk Warrior with the Junk Barrage Equip Spell Card. So when I destroy your monster, you take half my Junk Warrior's attack points as damage!"

"Good move Yusei," whispered Akiza. "But be careful about his trap cards."


	18. First Battle- Part 2

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 16**

**First Battle- Part 2**

Back at Martha's house, Takaya had gotten together with two friends of his and the three of them decided to sneak off to go watch the duel. Rally saw them running away through the bushes. Worried that trouble might befall them; Rally grabbed his cap and ran after them, calling for them to come back.

"Wait! Takaya! All of you please come back! It's not safe!" he called.

After a few minutes, Martha noticed their absence and immediately grabbed Officer Trudge. When he looked around for them, his face turned pale.

"They must've followed Yusei. We need to find them before something bad happens." Martha said firmly. Trudge offered to come with her, which she accepted.

In the meantime, Rally continued pursuing the children until the came upon an abandoned, two story building not far off from the duel. They ran inside up a winding staircase and opened a door that led them to the roof. Rally caught up to the three of them, tired and frustrated.

"What do you guys think you're doing? It's dangerous out here? Don't you know that? We need to go back to Martha's." Rally tried to pull one of them back, failing miserably.

The kid, wearing overalls and a T-shirt, stood defiantly in front of Rally. "We're not going anywhere. You're a kid like us, so you're not the boss. We want to stay here and catch some of the action," the boy said.

Rally growled in his frustration. The other kid besides the other boy and Takaya was a little girl with a blonde short, stubby ponytail wearing a faded pink dress.

"Please, Rally? We promise we'll be careful. We're sorry if we made anybody scared. Pretty please?" she pleaded with him. The little boy elbowed her.

"Rally's a boy, Tammy. There's no way he'll fall for that. You've got to be a tough customer. That's what us boys are best at," he proudly said.

"Come on guys, let's just stop fighting and watch the duel already. Yusei just summoned his Junk Warrior and he's going to attack! That Dark Signer is about to take a beating." His two friends paused at look onward to the duel. They ran to the edge of the roof as they watched excitedly. Rally sighed.

"Martha's going to kill me when we get back, assuming this turns out to be okay in the end. There's a good chance something will go wrong," he sulked.

The wind picked up slightly, light the rise of a pounding drum. Yusei ordered his Junk Warrior to attack. Ground Spider was squished and sent to the graveyard. Due to the effect of his equip spell, Roman took 1150 damage, leaving him with 4250 life points. He set a card face down.

But, before he could end his turn, the Dark Signer declared he was activating one of his face down trap cards. Yusei readied himself for the destruction of his monster. But, instead, an ancient looking monument appeared behind Roman. It looked like a staircase from a civilization of long ago, with a platform surrounded by four unlit torches. Era knew this card and it gave her a really bad.

"I am activating my trap, Altar of the Bound Gods. It shall be the key to calling my great Earthbound Immortal to the field to put an end to you both. This way, I can make you demise quick and painless. Are you ready?"

The children gasped. What would Yusei and Era do now? Era didn't want to be afraid. But she couldn't help but be afraid. However she wasn't go to let Roman see her fear. She stood confident and strong.

"So, how does your Altar of the Bound Gods Work, Roman?" she asked.

Roman smiled. Yusei saw his monster starting to glow, as did Era's. Two torches on the Altar were suddenly ignited. The flames flickered eerily.

"At the end of each turn, a torch is lit on the Altar for every monster in defense position. When I gain four torches lit, I can summon an Earthbound Immortal from my deck." He smiled.

"And so far you have two," Era said the obvious.

"I do. I believe it's your move, however," Roman said.

Era drew her next card and sighed. She slapped a card on her field. "I activate a spell card!" she said as the card appeared on her field. "It's called Change in Path. When there is at least two or more spell or trap cards on your side of the field, I get to destroy all of them.

"Not quite," Roman said.

"What?!" Era exclaimed.

"I activate my trap! Magic Jammer!" Roman said.

"Not good!" Era said.

"You got that right," Roman said. "Now by discarding one card in my hand, I will negate and destroy your spell card!"

Era's card shattered. "Well, to at least by us some time before you can get that Earthbound Immortal out here, I'm going to activate a spell from my hand, Battle Plague!" Era's dragon regained it color and it roared signaling its preparedness. Followed by Yusei's monsters standing up ready to fight. "This card switches every monster on our side of the field to attack mode. Of course they can't change the battle positions until our next turn but in return they can't be destroyed by battle or card effect until there. Plus your alter gains no torches this turn or on your next turn." Era grinned. "And I think I'll end my turn with a face down." She eyed him. "It's your move."

Roman frowned making Era a bit nervous. _'Something can't be right,'_ she said. "Your delay won't do you much good." He said. Roman drew his card. He put out his hand and revealed his second facedown card.

"I activate Offering to the Bounds Gods. By Sacrificing 2000 of my life points, I can light the last two torches and summon my Earthbound Immortal."

The torches lit up instantly. Era went wide eyed and fear tugged at her heart. Roman life points stood at 2250 now, but it didn't seem to matter to her.

"So not good. My move didn't work," she muttered.

"Era it's going to be fine. We're in this together, remember?" Yusei reassured her. The Altar began to crumble as an eerie light descended from above.

A pair of red, steely eyes fixated on Era as the enormous creature took to the field. The spider stood as tall as the nearby buildings, with red glowing lights crisscrossing its entire body.

"I call forth my Earthbound Immortal, Uru!"

Being a Signer, Akiza wouldn't be sucked into the beast much to her relief.

Meanwhile, Martha and Trudge had made it to the building, only to discover it had started to collapse upon the arrival of the Immortal. Rally desperately pulled the three kids and handed them over to Trudge, but he slipped and fell to the edge.

"Hold on Rally!" Trudge called to him.

Yusei gazed up in horror at his friend holding on for dear life. Martha attempted to grab him, but only lost her own footing.

The two of them struggled side by side to stay. "Trudge! Grab Rally and get out of here!" Martha yelled.

"But Martha…what about you?"

Martha shook her head no. Trudge gasped. Rally lost his grip and started to fall. Martha tried to catch him, but it was too late. He plummeted into the roaring violet flames. He turned his head over and looked at Yusei pitifully.

"I'm sorry. I…" Rally began.

"Rally!" Yusei called.

Rally's body turned into an orb of light and was absorbed by Uru. Martha soon fell afterwards, but as she went, she spoke to Yusei. "You, Era, and Jack are still the ones who give us hope. If anyone can save us, it's you three. And personally…I'm glad the you and Jack are friends again."

She too was absorbed. Roman chuckled to himself as he saw Yusei begin to shake. Era tried to inch closer to comfort him, but before she could move, she saw Uru's leg coming straight at her.

"Earthbound Immortal Uru will attack the Celestial Signer directly for 3000 points of damage. Feel the wrath of the netherworld, Era!"

Era's life points crashed to a mere 1000. She tried to dodge the attack, but the Spider's leg caught her and scraped her legs and upper chest.

Pearls of blood trickled down her body. She couldn't hold it in as she cried out from the pain. Her mark glowed brightly. The blood still trickled and dried slowly, her mark glowed bright as the pain slowly died away. Yusei's mark grew brighter as he rushed to her side. He couldn't hide his own tears.

"Two people close to you have become energy for Uru, and I have the pleasure of tearing down a third. Sadly, I must end my turn now with a face down and see what power you can muster from your deck… Yusei Fudo."

The sound of an engine was close by. A shout could be heard. Trudge has managed to get the kids out of the building in time as it collapsed when Jack Atlas sprung from the shadows on his Runner. His Runner banged on the ground when he landed. He quickly dismounted and came to assist Trudge and make sure the kids were okay.

Trudge looked at him, perplexed by his sudden appearance.

"You didn't think I was going to let anything happen to my little fans here, did you? I'm Jack Atlas!" Akiza rolled her eyes but quickly turned back to Era and Yusei. But the sight of the dry blood on Era caught her off guard.

"Era!" she exclaimed. Jack tilted his head.

"Yusei! What happened, is she alright?" he asked.

Yusei dried his tears and stared back at Jack, determined to make Roman pay. Era, still in his arms, finally managed to regain her composure from the shock. She got up and Yusei noticed her mark glowed brighter. And as it did, the scrapes seem to heal completely.

She looked back at Roman with a death glare. The only thing that said she got hurt was the dried drips of blood. Yusei was shocked.

"Yusei, take your turn. It's not over yet," Era said.

"But…" Yusei protested.

"Yusei, I'm not ready to quit. You shouldn't be either," she responded.

Yusei put his hand over his deck, drawing his next card. He immediately played it. A small monster that looked like an animate unicycle appeared. But it wouldn't stay for long. Yusei already had the wheels turning in his mind. "I summon Road Synchron to the field, and I'm going to tune it with my Junk Warrior to summon a new monster…Road Warrior!" (Road Synchron is a level four Light attributed Machine type Tuner monster that has 1600 attack points and 800 defense points. **(A/N: Just like with Legacy of the Star Princess by ****AvatarofBahamut, I will be taking the usual number of non-tuners needed to one for the fanfiction. That idea goes to her.)**)Taking the place of his two original monsters was an epic warrior clad in gold and blue. Two skulls hang from his shoulders, and he carried a massive blade.

His red eyes glittered as he prepared to strike. But Roman shook his finger and revealed a facedown trap. Three, good-sized eggs appeared on the field."I thought your attachments might cause you to make a foolish decision. Luckily, I have my Spider Egg Trap, which summons 3 Spider Egg Tokens to my field. If you plan to attack Uru, which wouldn't matter since it can't be for now, you must destroy these first," Roman said.

"Fine. I activate my Warrior's ability to summon a level two or lower Machine or Warrior type monster from my deck. And I choose Speed Warrior!" Yusei said. A flash of light brought forth a slim, agile warrior in a mechanical suit. It almost appeared as if it were wearing a gas mask. A blue light swirled around it. (Speed Warrior is a level two Wind attributed Warrior with 900 attack and 400 defense points. On the first turn it is summoned, its attack points are double.)

Yusei declared two attacks. His monsters rapidly decapitated two of the three eggs. Roman took no damage since they were in defense mode. Yusei had to end his turn. But he now had a strategy going for him that he thought could turn the tables.

She drew her card. "I'm going to take my turn."

"You really want to continue now, Signer? After you were just hurt?" Roman taunted.

"Well, I'm not hurt anymore," Era retorted.

"I can see that. Your powers are truly extraordinary. But every power has its limitations," Roman grinned.

"Well, until my powers' limitation comes, I place one card facedown." Era set down the card. She then summoned a monster to the field, Light Sword Knight (Light Sword Knight is a level three Light attribute Warrior monster with 1000 attack points and 1200 defense points) to attack the remaining egg. The warrior in white and yellow armor slashed the remaining egg shattering it to pieces. _'Now there's a chance,'_ she thought.

"If I can't attack your Earthbound Immortal, then I will have my dragon attack you with its special ability. When my opponent's only monster on the field cannot be destroyed by battle, I can activate Cosmic Dragon's ability to attack you directly. Prepare for a comeback," Era said.

Cosmic Dragon swooped in to attack Roman. But the Earthbound Immortal came to his defense and enveloped her dragon is an acidic web that destroyed it. Era was now down to her last 800 life points.

"I can choose to defend myself with my Immortal. You shouldn't have made such a hasty move. Not that it matters." Roman smirked.

"I now activate a trap, Defense Order!" Era exclaimed. "With it I can summon any Synchro Monster in my graveyard in defense position and put all my monsters on my field in defense position. And with that, I end my turn. It's Roman's turn again. Make your move," she taunted him. Cosmic Dragon reappeared on the field shielding it and Era with its wings and Light Sword Knight kneeled down with its arms crossed.

Yusei looked over at her, worried. But a faint smile formed across her face. Whatever she had just done, it might save them.

Roman drew a card. He placed a card facedown and one card in facedown defense position, almost copying Era's move. Thinking Era might activate her trap card to protect herself, since she had the fewest life points and a defense monster, he decided an alternative target.

"I will attack you, with Earthbound Immortal Uru, directly…Yusei Fudo!"

He put his arms over his face, facing the oncoming onslaught. But, to his surprise, nothing came just yet. He heard Era call out as she revealed her facedown trap.

"I thought you might attack Yusei. But it wouldn't have mattered if you attacked me. But, you fell for it. Now, I'm activating the effect of my trap, Opponent Shift!" A wall of crystals formed around Yusei and it shot back at Light Sword Knight.

"What just happened?" Roman demanded.

"Opponent Shift. With this card, I can change the attack of a monster to any monster on the field. So I chose my defense position Light Sword Knight. So I don't take damage from the attack and Yusei doesn't take damage either," Era informed.

"I activate a trap of my own. Second Chance Web **(A/N: I made up a card for Roman's deck so I could create a comeback to keep it going.) **I can activate this card after an insect monster on my side of the field attack is negated. With the card I can give Uru another chance to attack. So… Uru attacks Speed Warrior!" Roman exclaimed.


	19. First Battle- Part 3

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 17**

**First Battle- Part 3**

Another wave of sticky web spewed out, melting Speed Warrior. Yusei had to step back to escape the acid. He took 2100 damage leaving him with 1900 life points. Unable to make any other sudden moves, Roman set down a card and that was the end of his turn. It was Yusei's turn again.

When he drew his next card, a shimmer of hope rose within him. "First, I'll summon Hyper Synchron in attack mode, and use the power of my Road Warrior to Special Summon Tuning Supporter from my deck!" His blue clad warrior, Hyper Synchron appeared, with a small black creature at his side. It looked like a black blob clad in a yellow scarf and a frying pan hat. (Hyper Synchron is a level four Light attributed Machine Tuner monster with 1600 attack and 800 defense points. Tuning Supporter is a level one monster with the same type and attribute, but has 100 attack and 300 defense points.) "However, I'm also bringing back an old friend, Speed Warrior. By activating the Sainthood Ascendance Trap Card, I can bring back a monster from my graveyard with an extra level and half the attack points. He revealed his face down, and Speed Warrior reemerged, with an aura of bright light around him. The three monsters he summoned merged together and formed a cluster of white stars. "I tune Hyper Synchron with Tuning Supporter and Speed Warrior…to light the way into the night sky, with the light of the heavens. I summon my Stardust Dragon!" The enormous dragon swooped down from the ball of light as it disappeared. It roared proudly as it bore its claws and fangs. (Stardust Dragon's attack is currently 3300 attack points, and due to Hyper Synchron's other effect, it cannot be destroyed in battle.) "I think you know what happens next. Without its effect, your Earthbound Immortal is going to be squashed." His dragon gathered an orb of Starlight in its mouth and prepared to fire.

But Roman activated his face down. "I'm activating Resilience of the Bound Gods. When my Immortal's effect is negated, I can activate this card to protect it from being destroyed this turn. But I will still take 300 points of damage." A stream of cosmic ray went through the Immortal and almost knocked Roman of his feet, leaving him now with 1950 life points.

Yusei knew he couldn't destroy Uru with Road Warrior either, so he had to end his turn, with his monsters going to defense mode and let Era take her turn.

She drew a card, and when she played it, Spider's Web disappeared. "I'm replacing Spider's Web with my Cosmic Light Field Spell. It increases the attack of Light monster by 500 points, and my Cosmic Dragon benefits from it due to its effect. Now it's at 3500 attack points. Plus, I have something else in mind, too!"

Before she could continue with her turn, Roman started laughing. "You think you've won? Either way, I still have someone important to you. Perhaps they have something to say before this ends!"

He turned into a black shadow and reappeared, almost floating atop the violet flames. In his place was none other than Rally, who had been absorbed by the Earthbound Immortal only a few turns prior.

"Rally?! Roman…you…!" Yusei gritted his teeth.

"Roman, Rally's a kid, and he's just a victim. Leave him out of this fight. This is cheating!" Era yelled at him.

"All is fair in love and war… haven't you heard that old cliché, Celestial Signer?" Roman retorted.

Era looked back at Rally. She didn't want to attack their friend, fearing it might hurt him. Yusei could see Rally had the Spider mark on his arm, and he seemed just as frightened as Era was.

"I won't duel my friends!" Rally declared.

"You will if you want to survive, child!" Roman prodded him. Rally turned back to Yusei and Era. There was a moment's hesitation from all of them.

"I can't do it… I won't harm an innocent person. I won't hurt someone who shouldn't have gotten involved with this in the first place…" Era said. Yusei understood her feelings, as his was mutual. What would become of them now that they were forced to face each other? It all seemed bleak. "I…have no choice but to end my turn. It's your move, Rally…"

Rally hesitantly drew his card. "I can't attack my friends," he whimpered.

"You have to…if you wish to survive…" Roman snickered. Rally slapped a card down. A red rocket creature with green eyes emerged, but quickly disappeared with the facedown monster on the field into a field of stars.

"I'm tuning my Turbo Rocket with my Dark Spider so I can Synchro Summon my Turbo cannon in attack mode!' Rally declared. A white and blue creature like the rocket before took its place. It started its engine.

"If I sacrifice my Canon, I can destroy another monster and deal damage to its owner equal to its attack points." Rally explained.

Yusei stepped in front of Era. "Rally, if you have to attack somebody, I will go," he said.

Era grabbed Yusei's arm. "No. I should go, not you. You're more important than you think and I'm not going to let you get sent to the Netherworld. You need to be here, more than I do." There was a moment of silence.

"Era… no," Yusei whispered.

"Yusei, please. If you don't let me, then you're no better than Jack or Goodwin," she replied angrily.

"Era?" Yusei said.

"It seems like the only role I've played is something to protect to help. Like I said before… I'm sick of it. I can't just stand here. I won't do it. Everyone here means something to me… and of course…"

"No. I'm going to destroy my Earthbound Immortal," Rally intervened. Era gasped. Yusei urged him not to do it. But Rally shook his head. "I'm not going to be a puppet of the Dark Signers… or an instrument of my friend's demise. This is my way of taking a stand against them." The canon rose above the spider.

"_You will do no such thing, boy!" _Uru squealed.

"Watch me!" Rally yelled back.

"Rally, don't do it! Attack me instead!" Yusei pleaded.

But it was too late. There was a massive explosion, followed by an unearthly shriek. The Earthbound Immortal was vaporized as the last of Rally's life points catapulted to zero. It was game over.

The Light from Era's Field Spell Card linger a second or two as the flames vanished and the mark of the spider disappeared from Rally's arm.

Yusei ran to him as Rally fell from the force of the blast. Era ran after him, and looked over his shoulder as he caught his friend in his arms.

"Yusei…I know you can get us out," Rally mumbled.

Yusei was fighting back his tears. Rally's body turned gray, and seemed to evaporate into dust. Roman jumped down and was standing over at the edge of the crater. Four shadows appeared on the ground as the other Dark Signers emerged from the night and met near him.

Forming tears bridged Yusei's eyes. Era had her hand on his shoulder. They looked at each other in sad disbelief.

"Rally… Martha…" he mumbled.

The other children, Akiza, along with Trudge and even Jack were starting to shed their own tears. Era's head sank down with sadness and helpless need. _'I wasn't able to save him,'_ she thought.

"_There was nothing you could've done child," _the Crimson Dragon comforted her. _"Rally was a brave and selfless soul. He saw Yusei as a brother and, like you, he would do anything for a brother. You even influenced his heart. When he met you, I could feel that he was nervous at first. But when you showed him your kind and gentle spirit, he wanted to be like you. Kind, selfless, and caring. To him, you were like Yusei. A sibling, his sister. You did all you could."_

"Thank you, Crimson Dragon," Era said. She couldn't believe Rally really saw her that way.

Roman chuckled. Yusei glared at him. Kalin walked up behind him was a malevolent smile, followed by Misty, Demak, and a hooded Dark Signers with orange trim, but known to Era as Carly. He gave Yusei a mocking, pitiful expression.

"So sorry about that… What's this? You brought pretty mouse back to me huh?" His laugh seemed shallower.

Era took a fearful step back. Yusei clenched his fist as he raised his head. "What did you do to her Kalin?" Yusei asked angrily.

"Me? We just had a bit of fun. She put up a good fight though. Pretty mouse can bite but every creature will lose its teeth. And soon, she'll be back and our fun will continue," He laughed.

Era stepped forward defiantly. "Not in a million years!" she exclaimed.

"We'll see about that, pretty mouse." He grinned licking his lips.

Yusei realized what he meant by fun. He couldn't believe it. He was took shocked to speak. He would pay for what he did to her.

Era turned away and looked as Misty locked her gaze with Akiza. The hooded girl peered from under her cloak at Jack. Jack squinted, noting a familiar air about her. Demak looked around and sighed.

"Luna is not here… Too bad." He pulled out a card and revealed it. Era recognized the monster on the card immediately.

"That's Ancient Fairy Dragon!" Era pointed. They looked at her.

"Correct. Tell Luna if she wants this card she will have to come tomorrow to defeat me in a Shadow Duel. Otherwise her friend is mine!" Demak ordered.

"Tomorrow?" Akiza asked.

"We will all meet at the Four Stars of Destiny tomorrow. Signers and Dark Signers shall arrive on the stage of our last battle," Roman said.

"Hey, wait a minute. What about now? This isn't over yet!" Yusei growled.

Roman laughed as he and the other Dark Signers started to turn around and walk back to their hideaway.

"We're not supposed to finish this here. See you tomorrow at the Four Stars," Roman said.

In an instant, they seemed to begin melting into the night sky. Yusei chased after Roman. Jack quietly followed the hooded girl, who was traveling in a slightly different direction.

"Get back here and Duel me!" Yusei yelled. Era came up behind him, but after hearing him, flinched from approaching him. But she soon regained her comforting courage and went up to Yusei who stopped.

"Yusei… you'll have your chance at payback. And you will avenge Rally and save him. You are a skill duelist Yusei and if any can beat him, it's you. Even if something changed, I know you can overcome it. I know you, Yusei. You're stronger than anyone I knew and equaling Akiza's strength," Era said. He looked at her. "Now may not be the time to take him down but you will tomorrow. And you'll free everyone."

He nodded in acceptance. _'She's right. I need to gather myself and calm down,'_ Yusei thought.

"Yusei, so you know, Rally saw you as a brother," he looked at her. "He saw me as a sister. And as all siblings should, he would do anything for you. And I know you would do anything for him. Rally wouldn't want you to rush in like this. He would want you to make the right move on the right mind. You can save him."

"Let's go back," he said.

Era wrapped her arms around him in a comforting hug before taking his hand and leaving.

In the meantime, Jack caught up with the other girl and managed to grab a hold of her hood.

"Hey, wait! Why are you so…" Jack said.

A flurry of long black hair fell from the hood. His eyes widened when he realized who he was following. She stopped a moment after he froze out of shock. "Carly? Is it you? I… I can't believe…"

She glanced over with her blackened eyes with neon blue swirls. "Yes, it's me."

"Carly? What happened? Are you really… How did you become a Dark Signer? I thought you were captured and absorbed like… the others." Jack slowly let the words out.

Carly started walking away, but called back to him as a tear left her face and streamed behind her. Jack looked on at her.

"If its answers you seek, you will have to find me tomorrow. Until then, Jack," she said.

As Carly vanished, Jack pulled her broken glasses from his pocket. He cradled them in his hand, a wave of guilt and wonder coming over him. "If you became a Dark Signer… does that mean… oh god… Carly… you didn't…"


	20. Heading Out

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 18**

**Heading Out**

Everything was silent back at the house. Martha was gone and so was Rally. Era was upstairs calming the kids down and comforting them.

Yusei walked up to check on them. "It's okay. It's not your fault. You were just worried and curious. I've let my curiosity get the better of me at times. It's not your fault," Era said soothingly.

"But… but…" one girl, Tammy, stuttered through tears.

"Listen, I know how you feel. I actually got my friend hurt from curiosity myself. I felt awful. But I remembered one thing, do you guys know what that is?" she asked. They shook their heads. "It's natural for me to be curious and it's even more natural to be controlled by it. You were worried and curious. Those are feelings when put together can control you but they are also feelings you can't deny. You can't push away how you feel. What do you think Martha or Rally would say if they were here and saw you like this?"

"Rally would say to suck it up and move on," the little boy, Takaya, said. They laughed a little at the thought.

"And Martha would say she forgave us and wouldn't want us to be upset. She would want us to forgive ourselves and move on," Tammy said.

"Exactly. Know that, what're you going to do now?" Era asked.

"Move on," the three said together with a thoughtful and thankful smile.

"Uh, Era?" Takaya called.

"Yes?" Era asked.

"Will they come ever come back?" Tammy asked thinking the same thing as her friend.

"I will tell you one answer," she said and they looked up at her. "Though it may be a while, if you keep hoping and staying on the right side, they'll be back. Yusei, me, Jack, and everyone will make sure you guys stay safe and we bring Martha and Rally back home. Can you trust us to do that?"

They smiled and nodded. "Good. Now it's time for bed," Era said tucking them into their beds.

"E-Era, can you sing us a lullaby?" Tammy asked.

Era smiled. "Of course. I only know one but it helps my brother so I'll sing it. You guys tucked in tight?" she asked.

"Yeah…" they all answered.

"Okay, here it goes," she said before softly singing the lullaby. "_With the night falling across the darkened sky,_

_People cover up and kids close their eyes._

_The stars will guide you through the dream you have._

_Sleep little children and sing the sweet lullabies._

_Sleep and have the wondrous dreams you're meant to have._

_Stars dot the sky in beauty._

_Sleep and have the wondrous dreams your meant to have._"

When the song was over, all the kids were fast asleep. "Goodnight, you guys," she said getting up. She gave each other them a loving kiss on their forehead like a mom would her child.

'_I guess you get motherly of children after taking care of one for a long time,'_ Yusei thought with a grin.

Era walked out and noticed Yusei. She waved him over to get away from the sleeping kids. When they were on the other side of the hall she asked, "How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough to see how gifted you are with kids," he answered.

"Well," she said awkwardly.

"Listen Era," Yusei began.

"What is it?" Era asked.

"When you saw me act like that after I lost Rally, I hope I didn't scare you," Yusei said.

"Yusei, you gave me a bit of a fright at first but I knew you were only upset and I can't hold that against you. Besides, I know you know what Kalin did to me. But he was barely able to touch me before my mark acted up," she said. "That probably made you even more upset. You were only acting on emotions. I've done that myself. You heard what I told the kids. It's not your fault when you were acting naturally on emotions."

He gave a relieved sigh. She grinned at him and held the side of his face comfortingly. "How were you not acting on emotions? You must have been feeling something, right?" he asked.

"I felt guilty, like I failed. But the Crimson Dragon told me I did everything I could. How Rally thought of us and she told me how I influenced his heart. She said when he first met me, he was nervous at first. But when I showed him my 'good spirit', he wanted to be like me. Kind, selfless, and caring. I would never really consider me all those things though," Era said.

"Why not? Those words fit you perfectly," Yusei said.

She shrugged. "I don't like to put personality labels on me. I feel like some would make people see me better than everyone else. I don't want people to feel that way about me. I just want them to think, I'm like them," Era explained looking out the window and at the foggy sky.

Yusei turned her to him. "But you're not like them. You're unique and they mark on your arm is proof," he said calmly.

She grinned at his kind words. Then she thought about Akiza. She was unique. _'Why would he choose me over Akiza?'_ she thought. She decided to ask him. "Yusei, when you said you loved me, why me and not Akiza? She pretty, she's unique, and she is like you," she asked.

"Because, she's not the only one who's pretty and unique. But I don't want someone who is like me. I want someone who can be herself and different than the rest," Yusei said. "And is not afraid to be different."

"Yusei, I…" Era said.

She felt his gaze on hers and she looked up. Era got lost in Yusei's cobalt blue eyes again. _"In my opinion you guys are a perfect match,"_ Martha's voice rang in her head. _'Was Martha right? But is it good or bad that I'm in love with him?'_ Era thought.

Era felt the Crimson Dragon's presence. _"It is good to find love. As you said, friends can come from anywhere. So can love. I can see in both your hearts. You both have a deep, emotional connection to each other. You should hang onto that connection while you can,"_ the Crimson Dragon said.

'"_While I can"?'_ Era thought repeating the dragon's words.

"Era?" Yusei called. She looked at him. "You okay? You seemed a bit distant and scared."

"The Crimson Dragon just said something. That's all," Era said vaguely.

"What did it say?" Yusei asked.

"It started off saying how we have a 'deep, emotional connection' with each other. Then it said that I should hang onto that connection while…" she trailed off.

"While what?" Yusei looked at her.

"While I can," she answered looking him in the eye. "Do you think the Crimson Dragon knows what'll happen to me? For a fact?"

"I don't know, Era. But you're a strong person. I'm certain you'll be able to survive this," Yusei said wrapping his arms around her protectively.

"I- I don't…" she began but gave in to the comforting touch. "Thanks."

"Come on, we need to go talk to the others about the towers," Yusei said holding her hand.

"Okay," Era agreed.

They walked down the stairs and met everyone back at the table. Mina had a map out ready to discuss the situation.

"So what's the deal with these 'Four Stars of Destiny'?" Jack asked.

"Back when the first Ener-D reactor was working, there were four control towers. The Dark Signers are referring to them as the Four Stars of Destiny," Era explained before Mina could.

Mina nodded. "You're right. Each were codenamed after a Nazca line. I had heard the old momentum went out of control and the seal it had was broken. The four controllers were assigned four code names. The four were named Ccapac Apu, Ccarayhua, Aslla Piscu, and Cusillu. In Quechuan, they each mean giant, lizard, hummingbird, and monkey," she explained.

"You were saying something like that earlier, right Era?" Jack asked.

Era nodded. "Yes," she said.

"But Uru isn't in those names. It was the spider," Luna noted.

"Uru was the codename of the Ener-D reactor itself. In order to seal the Old Momentum, one person must activate the controllers," Mina informs.

"Roman is the leader of the Dark Signer and, as we know, wears the mark of the Spider. Each one of you need to face one of the other four before we face him. He is the strongest," Era stepped in.

"Exactly. From what I've heard, they used the same dragon cards the four of you have to originally seal the controllers," Mina said.

"Is that true?" Yusei asked.

"I was told that director Goodwin was given those cards by Dr. Fudo," Mina said.

Yusei gave a look of shock. "Was the person who broke the seal?" Yusei began but was cut off by Mina.

"Now, I had actually asked Director Goodwin if it was Dr. Fudo when he told me about them. Goodwin told me it was not and it was actually Dr. Fudo that tried to the old momentum from going out of control. When it was about to go, Dr. Fudo took the cards and gave them to the director. Ancient Fairy Dragon though was not in that group. Director Goodwin set the cards to the wind eventually, saying they will end up with whoever destiny chose them to. So Luna, it is very important you get Ancient Fairy Dragon back to seal the tower," Mina explained.

"Got it, no pressure," Luna said.

Era walked over and said, "Don't worry, Luna. You do what you have to do."

"In my opinion, we're walking right into Goodwin's hands. After what Era was vaguely saying to him before we left, I'm not sure how much to trust that man," Jack said.

"There are some things he'll say that are true but you can't trust all of it. He's got a plan that is devastating. Be careful around him and don't believe anything he says right away," Era said. She gave a sigh knowing this might come up. "Like how he gathered all of you _only_ so you can save the world. That's a lie."

"Era, why are you talking bad about the director?" Mina asked flustered.

"Because I know the truth about him Mina. I know his plan and what will happen if we let him achieve it," Era responded. Era took a deep breath. "Let's just focus on beating the Dark Signers. We can worry about the director when the time comes."

Mina sighed knowing she was right. She pulled out a map of the Satellite and shows them the four locations of the control units.

"Should we all go together?" Trudge asked.

"That would be a huge waste of time as we would be dueling one by one and that would take ages. I'll go alone," Jack said. He lifted up his sleeve to reveal his mark. "If these Crimson Dragon marks want to duel against the Dark Signers, then there's no point sticking close to everyone."

"But we just got together as a team?" Luna said.

"Jack has a point, though Luna. But even if we're apart, we're in it together," Yusei said.

"So who's going with who?" Trudge asked.

"Kalin's the giant so I'm heading to that tower," Yusei said.

"Well, Demak has my Ancient Fairy Dragon and he's at the monkey tower so I have to go there," Luna said.

"I'll drive the twins. They need someone to drive them after all," Trudge said. Luna and Leo nodded in acceptance.

"Misty and I have some unfinished business and she's the lizard. So I'll head over there," Akiza determined.

"I'll drive you, Akiza, if that's okay?" Mina suggested.

"Of course," Akiza agreed.

"The last one's the humming bird with… that other girl. I guess I'll head over there," Jack concluded.

"But where's Era going to go?" Leo asked.

"Before we left the safe house, Yusei and I were discussing that before you guys were up. If they're coming after me, Yusei wants to be sure I stay safe. So I'll be riding with him. If they get hold of me, they know about the prophecy. I've heard what they want to do when I was captured and escaping. They'll want to use the portal I'll create to envelope not just this world into darkness but mine as well. I don't want to risk that," Era explained.

"What are you talking about? Other worlds, portals, prophecies, and _your_ world? That's just a bunch of junk," Trudge said being the disbeliever he is.

"You remind be a lot of Seto Kaiba at times," Era said.

"How do you know so much about the Kaibas?" Trudge asked.

"Simple. Learned all about them on a television show. It's called _Yu Gi Oh!_. Yugi and Yami are the main characters. Kaiba is Yugi's rival and never believed in the possibility of magic, destiny, and all that stuff," Era explained nonchalant. She gave a small laugh. "The only time he finally gave into the possibility is when he saw Yami or Atem and Yugi standing side by side. Even when he was watching Marik almost send Yugi to the Shadow Realm he didn't believe it." Her eyes widened. "I've said _way_ too much about the past."

"What other shows are there that have our history?" Jack asked a bit shocked.

"_Yu Gi Oh! GX_," Era said bluntly. "And then there's this show known as _Yu Gi Oh! 5Ds_. But that's all I'm going to say for now. I've actually said way too much about it."

"We need to get going soon," Yusei said trying to change the topic.

"Fine, but when we're done with this, you're going to tell us everything Era," Jack demanded.

"Can't make promises I won't keep," she said as she went over to her room.

She sat down on the bed and pulled a necklace out of her pocket. She smiled. _'I'm happy I had this in my pocket when I got here. I don't know how it got there but it helps me stay calm about my baby brother,'_ she thought.

She opened the heart shaped locket to reveal the picture of her holding Jack for the first time. He was so small and he loved to tug at her hair. Even at that age. A single tear rolled down her face. But it was one made from the happy memory.

Instead and putting the necklace back in her pocket, she decided to put it around her neck to keep it close when she needed it. She took another look at it before hiding it under her shirt and wiping the tear off her face.

A knock sounded at the door and Era called out, "You can come in."

She looked as Yusei walked in. "You ready?" he asked sitting down next to her.

"What can I say? I'm nervous but I'm ready in equal parts," she answered. "What about you?"

"Haven't we gone over this? Twice?" Yusei asked.

Era laughed. "Yeah, I guess we have," she said but she soon fell silent.

"Is something bothering you?" Yusei asked. "Kalin? The Dark Signers?" His voice was caring and concerned.

"No. It's not any of them. It's just the thing that's hand me worried since I got here," Era said. She instinctually pulled out her locket and opened it to her baby brother. She gave a small, sad smile.

"Is that your brother?" Yusei asked looking at it.

"Y-Yeah. The picture was taking by my grandparents as I held him for the first time. I remember how he found my hair very interesting and kept yanking at it. I thought it was cute and laughed at it," she explained. "I hope he's okay. I know the Crimson Dragon said her brother was looking after him in disguise but I can't help but worry if he's okay being with him."

"If your brother's as strong as you, I bet he is," Yusei comforted.

Era grinned at Yusei. "He is a strong trooper. You're probably right," she said.

"Era, I have to ask," Yusei began and she looked at him. "When this is all over, will you be leaving?"

She looked down. "That's the thing, I'm not sure. I mean, I want to see my home, friends, and family again but I don't want to leave my new friends and… you," she admitted. "I mean, the Crimson Dragon did say I would be able to go between worlds. But who knows if they time course is the same as here. I mean, it may be possible that a day here is a week at home."

"I won't make you stay where you don't want to, but I do want you to follow your heart. I'll be with you either way," Yusei said caringly.

They heard a knock at the door and heard Trudge call, "Hey, you two love birds! It's time to go!"

They looked at each other one more time before standing up. "When the time comes, I'll figure out what the heart wants then. But for now, let's go save the world," Era said placing her locket back in her shirt to hide it.

They walked out of the room and saw Trudge was already heading downstairs. They were about to turn when Era heard Tammy's voice, "Era?"

She looked at the young girl and kneeled down to eye level. "Tammy, what're you doing up? Shouldn't you be in bed?" she asked.

"I got up to get a drink but then I heard Mr. Trudge say you were leaving. Where're you going?" Tammy asked.

"You know that big, bad fog outside?" Era asked. Tammy nodded. "Well we're going to try to make it disappear and save Rally and Martha like I told you we would."

"Really?" she asked.

Era nodded. "But we'll b…" she was cut off by Tammy hugging her tight.

"Don't… leave. I don't want to lose you," she cried.

"You won't lose me, Tammy. I'll bring Rally, Martha, and everyone back, okay? I'll be gone for a little while but I'll be back," Era tried to comfort.

Tammy held on tighter. "Don't worry, Tammy. I'll be with her to make sure she's safe," Yusei tried to help.

Tammy looked at Yusei and then back to Era. "It'll be fine, Tammy. Let's go get you some water and get back to bed," Era said.

"O-Okay," Tammy said holding onto Era's hand.

Era felt bad for her. She thought of an idea that tended to help her brother, "Why don't I carry you down stairs? Would you like that?"

Tammy beamed at her and nodded. Era smiled. _'Seems like it works with any child,'_ she thought happily. Era picked Tammy up and they walked down stairs and to the kitchen.

Yusei went up to the confused group and explained what happened. Era heard Trudge groan in annoyance. _'He seems to be more impatient than in the show,'_ Era thought.

Tammy had her cup of water and wanted Era to come back to tuck her in one last time. The kind, motherly instincts were kicking in again and she agreed. She hated to make them wait but she couldn't ignore Tammy. She was such a sweet kid and besides, Era had a hard time saying no to someone who wants a goodbye in a situation like this.

Era picked Tammy up and she carried her back up to her room. She laid her in her bed and gave her a small smile. Tammy gave Era another tight hug and Era hugged back before setting Tammy under the covers and kissing her forehead while saying, "See you later."

She closed the door. She walked downstairs and Jack was looking at her irritated. She sighed. "Listen Jack, I know this is a big deal. But you have to remember, I care about these kids. My entire life kids have been around me so I always take care of them. And in a situation like this, I couldn't tell Tammy I couldn't put her to bed one more time and say goodbye. If you had a life like mine, you would probably be the same way," she said.

Jack grunted and left. Akiza came up and said, "I think you made the right decision. The kids really look up to you and probably would consider you an older sister or mom."

"I'm with Akiza. Don't listen to Jack or his looks, he just hasn't been in the same situations as you," Luna said.

"No kidding. Besides, us kids are your specialty," Leo agreed.

"Thanks guys, that means a lot," Era genuinely thanked. She looked at Yusei who nodded approvingly and grinned. Trudge was still slightly annoyed but obviously respected her and Mina just gave her a respecting look. "But now that's all taken care of, we need to get going. Besides, Jack might leave us in the dust if we don't hurry up."

Luna giggled and left with Trudge and Leo. Akiza nodded and she and Mina left. Era and Yusei looked at each other once before leaving together.

They boarded their duel runners and cars and everyone waited to take off. Jack had thankfully waited for the rest of them.

"Okay we're ready Yusei. And since it seems you are the leader of this joint, why don't you give us a rousing speech so we can go off?" Jack asked impatiently.

"Okay, everyone. This is the big deal and these will be the hardest duels you've ever had. But just remember when things get hard we're all connected and we're all in this together. Now let's get going," Yusei said his mini-speech and started his runner.

"And if any of you lose your duel, you're going to have to answer to me," Jack said. "So best of luck."

Jack took off. Era and Yusei glanced at each other before riding off themselves and they all went their separate ways.


	21. Signs of the Monkey- Part 1

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut- Important for the next three chapters!**

**Chapter 19**

**Signs of the Monkey- Part 1**

Trudge drove Leo and Luna towards the tower where Demak was waiting. Luna felt haunted by the fact he possessed her friend, Ancient Fairy Dragon. Would she be able to save her?

"Say, are any of you kids creeped out by any of this?" Trudge asked.

Leo shook his head, confidently boasting that he was fearless. However, a raven flew over his head and caused him to shriek. Luna peered at him sideways, unamused.

Leo defensively stared at her and assured her he was pretending to be afraid for her sake, but she knew her brother better than that. He indeed had a touch of fear in him.

The fog still lingered, blackening the road ahead. Luna looked onward with anticipation; but then a familiar voice rang in here ear, squeaking at her. "Kuribon?" She whispered.

"What was that?" Trudge caught wind of her voice. Luna hesitated.

The transparent figured of Kuribon appeared before her, thrashing about in a panic. She tried to comfort it, and was disturb when it told her of something terrible happening in the Spirit World. "We need to act now…" She muttered.

"Seriously, who are you talking to back there?" Trudge grew nervous. Leo tried to assure him that nothing was going on and attempted to hush his sister.

"Listen, Mr. Trudge. My sister has the ability to talk to Duel Spirits. Okay?" he said.

"That's just silly! I don't believe you. Now tell me what's going on!" Trudge demanded.

"Didn't Era say you were a nonbeliever? I guess she was right," Leo said.

Suddenly, a cloud of light swirled around Luna and enveloped her. It minimized into a pillar and imploded. There was a loud shout, and when Leo could see through the light, his sister had vanished.

Leo screamed at the top of his lungs and frantically searched the backseat for signs of his sister. "She's gone! Luna's gone! That light must have taken her to the Spirit World!"

"Don't be ridiculous! She probably just fell out of the car or something…" Trudge stopped the car and jumped out. He called out for Luna and scanned the area. Leo also called out for her, even though he thought it would likely not help. He looked up at Trudge and thought of an idea.

"Why don't we split up and look for her? We can cover more ground!" Leo suggested.

Trudge agreed readily, too panicked about losing one child that he didn't think about Leo going off by himself without someone to look after him. Leo hurried off while he walked along in a slightly different direction.

Leo looked anxiously around as he trotted down a winding path cut through heaps of debris and junk. He had taken his Duel Disk with him, and kept it tight to his chest, with his deck safely inserted inside.

Off in the distance, Leo saw a tower looming over like a dark beacon. "Maybe if I go inside that tower…I can get a better view of the Satellite from the top. Then maybe I can prove to Trudge that she didn't just fall out of the car…"

It took a good fifteen minutes or so before he came within reach of the tower. As he gazed up at it, he noticed a figure resembling a monkey carved into the top.

"Wait, isn't that the mark of the Dark Signer Luna's going to duel? Maybe…she could've been taken here…but…" He climbed over a pile of sheet metal and was just a few feet away. He called for his sister once more. But, this time, he was replied to by a terrifying laughter from inside the tower.

"I've awaited Luna since the first crack of the sun. Now my patience has been rewarded…Prepare yourself, Signer!" Purple flames rose from the ground and wrapped around the tower, into the shape of the Monkey Nazca Line.

The man in black with yellow tinge emerged from the building, his bald face hidden from view. Only his darkened eyes were visible in the shadows. When he saw who it was outside, he hissed with disgust.

"You appear similar…but…You are not the Signer whom I was supposed to Duel! You do not bear her mark. Who are you?" Demak said.

Leo slipped on his Duel Disk and activated it. He growled at the Dark Signer.

"It doesn't matter. But, what does matter is that I'm her brother and promised to protect her! And it looks like you're going to have to deal with me, because my sister's not here right now." Leo said.

"What a shame. I had no intentions of involving myself in a squabble with an ordinary little boy. But if you insist on taking your sister's place…I'll be happy to collect your soul." His disk also engaged. "My name is Demak, by the way. Not that it matter to you."

From far, Trudge came full circle and could see the duel starting from overhead. When he realized it was Leo fighting, he ran towards it. What was Leo thinking?

. . .

Era looked at the light. _'Luna's going to the Spirit World to save Ancient Fairy Dragon. Too bad I can't help. Good… luck… Luna…'_ Suddenly Era's head got extremely dizzy.

"Era? Are you okay?" Yusei called sensing her distress.

"Something's… not right…" she muttered.

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked.

Yusei then noticed the Nazca lines of the monkey appear in the sky. _'Luna's duel has obviously begun but why isn't my mark glowing?'_ Yusei thought. Then he wondered aloud, "Is someone else dueling? If so, who?"

"Leo," Era muttered. "Be careful."

Yusei looked back at her. _'Leo's dueling Demak?! I have to get over there!'_ he thought. "Era, I hope you don't mind but we should go make sure Leo's okay," he said.

"Let's go," Era said. Whatever was wrong with her, it seemed to have worn off. With that they quickly headed over to Leo.

. . .

Luna fell from the air and landed in a patch of grass just outside of a small village. Kuribon awaited her patiently, wagging its tail. It peeped at her thankfully. She rubbed her head and blinked at the stone walls surrounding the village. She noticed the gates were wide open and decided she should go in. As she strolled into town, she realized not a soul was there.

But that wasn't the only strange thing occurring. Leaves seemed to float upward and reattach themselves to trees. Violet staffs with clock-hands and golden curves were scattered in the street, all standing erect.

Kuribon's eyes darted around. It blinked and urged Luna to look behind her. When she turned around, a few small, cherubic faces hid behind brick walls. Luna thought them to be children and greeted them. But they slunk into the shadows without a word.

"What's going on? Why are they all hiding?" she wondered.

A pair of scraggly voices could be heard from down the street. A hand came from behind Luna and pulled her behind a nearby wall.

"Hey!" Luna exclaimed.

The person who pulled her back shushed her. She held her Kuribon tightly in her arms as two strange figures skulked passed them. They appear to look like tanned, malnourished chimps, clad in Romanized armor. Each carried with them a spear in their stick-like arms.

"Where'd she go to? I thought I saw a girl running around out here! We could've caught another one of those suckers for the Ape King!" one of them said.

The monkey's companion whacked him over the head with his spear. "You're the one who was too slow! Now it got away, you slacker!" it screeched.

"Hey! Don't pin this all on me!" the first one yelled.

Luna's eyes widened. Somehow, those soldiers were looking for everybody to capture them. But who was this Zeman the Ape King? Somehow, she felt they were connected to Demak, since his Dark Signer symbol was that of the monkey.

The two soldiers receded back from the other direction. Luna sighed with relief. Kuribon rested in his arms comfortably. It peeked around and peeped at someone standing next to them in the shadows.

"What do you think you're doing running around in the open like this? Do you want to get captured?" he hissed at her.

"I'm sorry. Can you please tell me what's going on?" Luna asked.

The stranger grabbed her arm and lifted up a nearby rock that led to an underground tunnel. Luna jumped in and took Kuribon in with her. The stranger then closed the rock over the tunnel before making his way down.

At the bottom, only a few torches lit the way under the winding streets of the town. Luna noticed there were a fair number of sealed rooms. The stranger tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned around, she realized he was just a boy about her age, with long dark hair and blue eyes. He wore an oversized, swirling violet hat and a large, dark colored tunic, with violet and blue armbands wrapping out from under his sleeves.

"You're lucky I grabbed you in time. I take it you're not from around here, huh?" he asked. Luna shook her head no. "You must be a human then. It explains why you've got all those Spirits with you in that deck of yours. Anyways, it explains why you're not affected by the Minus Curse…" He stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Minus Curse?" Luna repeated.

"Did you see those Needle-shaped staffs all over town? They're everywhere in the Spirit World now…The Ape King created them, and what they do is… they reverse everything, even to the point where time seems to go backwards…"

Luna perked up. "So that's why fallen leaves were floating up to the trees?"

"That's right. It's also why I'm just a child. I may not look like it, but I'm probably old enough to be your Grandfather… It's made it harder for us to escape being captured by the soldiers… But it wasn't always like this. Duel Spirit world is where the essence of Duel Monsters live. We all had our own abilities, but we all worked together and our world is generally very peaceful. But they showed up one day and attack the town, and everything has been chaos ever since." Luna nodded. "I'm Torunka by the way, and I'm a Dark Sage."

"My name is Luna. I think I was sent here to help." Luna showed Torunka the mark on her arm. He squinted at it intensely.

"So you're a Signer, then? That explains a lot. I guess I should be obliged to help you then. What do you say to that?" Torunka said.

Luna thanked him. Kuribon rustled around restlessly. He led her down the tunnel to a stairway. He motioned for her to follow him up. She walked after him, and Kuribon jumped out of her arms to bounce up the stairs.

. . .

Leo and Demak had each drawn their cards, and Leo was given the first move. Trudge was forced to stand on the outskirts of the duel, being black by the violet flames. Suddenly, he heard the roar of a Duel Runner from behind him.

Yusei approached him, with Era trailing behind him. But now she had a pounding headache instead of it being dizzy. And the worst part, she didn't get why it was even happening at all.

"Yusei? What are you doing here? Weren't you and Era heading to the Giant's tower?" Trudge asked.

Yusei explained that they were, but they saw the light of the mark of the Monkey. But, the mark on his arm didn't glow, and he knew something was wrong. He sensed whoever was dueling Demak was not Luna. Then Era muttered that Leo needed to be careful and he knew who was dueling. He guessed the other Signers might notice their marks and knew something was wrong to and come to a similar conclusion.

Trudge didn't really understand most of it. But, he replied by telling him about how Luna had disappeared from the car while he was driving and that Leo and he were out looking for her. He guessed she had fallen out. They looked down and he said to Yusei that Leo managed to find the Monkey's tower, and that he chose to challenge Demak in Luna's place.

"But, Trudge, didn't you say there was a bright light that came from behind you? I don't think Luna simply fell out of the car," Era noted.

"Era is right. My best guess is she's probably in the Spirit World." Yusei said.

"And you're right Yusei," Era said.

"What? Don't tell me you believe in that Fairytale that they were talking to me about earlier, Yusei. I know you believe it Era. Am I the only one who doesn't have an overactive imagination?" Trudge asked.

Each one of them looked back to the duel. Leo summoned his first monster, Deformer Magnen-U to the field in face-up defense position. His monster appeared to look like an overgrown magnet. (Deformer Magnen-U is a level 3 monster with 800 attack and defense.)

"When my Magnen is on the field in defense mode, you can't select any of my other monsters as an attack target." He then ended his turn with a facedown card.

Demak eagerly took his first move, swiftly drawing his card. He leered up at the two spectators, with worried expressions on their faces. "This little pipsqueak is determined to defeat me in a duel, even though he is not a Signer. I doubt he can win, but I also doubt either of you can talk him out of it," Demak said.

All they could hope for now was that Leo would manage to win the duel and that Demak didn't change his play too much. Demak summoned the card he just drew. It looked like a grizzly humanoid in a red magicians cloak and cap. Demak declared it to be Magician's Ape. (Magician's Ape is a level 3 Dark attributed Beast type with 800 attack and 1200 defense points.)

Era gave a silent sigh. _'At least it's the same move it should be,'_ she thought.

Demak's monster was in attack position. Leo was at first confident that he had a solid defense, and could create an even better one next round. But he did not anticipate Magician's Ape's special ability. Demak then sent one card in his hand to the graveyard. He smirked.

"Once per turn, I can discard a card to gain control of one of your monsters. That magnet of yours is the only one, so I think I'll take that!"

An eerie light emitted from the Ape's staff, and attracted Leo's monster to his side of the field. Now that Leo was wide open, Demak declared a direct attack on Leo.

As Leo's life points dropped to 3200, he shrieked in agony from the pain. He fell briefly to his knees, confused. "Surprised? In case you haven't learned yet, in a shadow duel, all the damage our monsters deal damages more than just your life points. It actually hurts you. Are you still sure you can defeat me? Or will you let me send your soul to the abyss in peace?"

Leo managed to get to his feet. In his mind, he had been made somewhat afraid. He had never experienced anything so tremendously painful before. But he wouldn't give up. He told himself that he would stay in the game for his sister. "I'm not done just yet, Demak."

"Have it your way the, child!" Demak retorted.

Yusei and Trudge called to him, expressing their concern. Leo assured them that he was alright for now. But he thought to himself that he might not be for too much longer. He wondered about his sister and whether she was safe. All he could hope was that she was better off than he was.

"You guys, Leo has to do this," Era said. They looked at her. "You can't change his mind and you shouldn't. Leo's strong, he'll figure out a way. I know that for sure."


	22. Signs of the Monkey- Part 2

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut- Important for the next three chapters!**

**Chapter 20**

**Signs of the Monkey- Part 2**

As Luna entered dusty old room in the abandoned house, an ear-shattering screamed reached her ears. She felt it belonged to her brother, and she realized what was happening in the real world. Her mark began to glow brightly.

"Is something wrong?" Torunka asked.

"It's my brother, Leo! He went to duel the Dark Signer in my place and he's been hurt!" she cried.

Torunka quickly covered her mouth. "Be careful to not be too loud or they'll find us."

Luna nodded, and he released her. He looked around. The cedar room was empty, save for a solitary window. They edged to a corner of the room where it would be hard for them to be spotted.

"So, what's the plan?" Torunka asked her.

"Huh?" she wondered.

"How are we going to go about saving our world?" he asked.

"I think…" Luna thought out loud. "I think we should start by searching for Regulus. Ancient Fairy Dragon told me that he's a servant of hers and that he can help me to free her. That's what we need to do."

Torunka's face turned grim. A sinking feeling seemed to grow in Luna now, weighing her spirit down. He checked the window to make sure nobody was peeping in. He swiftly pulled down a pair of curtains as an extra precaution. He made sure nobody saw him. He came back to Luna. "Regulus? Are you sure? Then I think you're in for more than you bargained for," he said.

"What do you mean?" Luna asked.

"Something is terribly wrong with Regulus. I'm afraid he might have fallen victim to the Minus Curse. You see, he used to be a kind protector around our forest, but ever since the Minus Curse, he's been attacking anyone who comes within reach of him, monkey soldier and Duel Spirit alike. He cannot be reasoned with… it only aggravates him. Are you sure there is no alternative?" Torunka asked.

Luna leaned her head against the wall. "Are you sure that he can't be reasoned with? How's he affected by the curse?"

"I don't know. But if you're willing to risk it, we can go search in the woods for him and see if we can figure something out. Are you sure you want to do this? I have an uneasy feeling about it," Torunka said.

Luna nodded. "I'm sure."

"Well… We should get going," her friend said.

Torunka lead her back down the stairs and into the underground tunnels. They returned the way they came and exited through the same way. When they reached the streets, they carefully slipped down the alley.

"Hey you!" a voice called.

To their fear, a monkey soldier caught wind of their footsteps and spotted them. Torunka grabbed Luna and the two of them ran as fast as they could. A light shimmered from Luna's pocket. A white unicorn emerged by her side with a blue flaming mane. Kuribon hopped in front of it and growled at the guards.

"So, you think you're tough enough to take us on, pipsqueak?" A couple of soldiers pulled up a stone slate and placed it in front of them.

"No! We need to get out of here!" Torunka pulled Luna along.

"Wait, what about Sunlight Unicorn? Kuribon?" Luna asked. The unicorn nudged her, urging its owner to leave in haste. Luna reluctantly chased after Torunka, trying to keep up with him as they ran in the direction of the woods. The guards were now kept busy with her two monsters. "They… they're sacrificed themselves to protect me…"

She saw a brief glimpse of one of the three soldiers raising a Minus Staff. In a flash of light, her monsters were sealed away inside the tablet. But Luna had no choice. She had to keep running. She had to find Regulus soon to save her brother and her friends, in the spirit world and her home.

. . .

Meanwhile, in the human world, the other Signers could not feel her prescience. Jack and Akiza could see the light of the shadow duel. As they approached their destinations, their marks didn't glow even the faintest light. They knew she was gone.

Leo struggled to keep himself together. With Magician's Ape still on the field, he knew Demak could just keep taking his monsters. Still, he felt he had no choice. He summoned a new monster, Deformer Magnen-I to the field in defense position, which appeared as a metal, magnetic bar. (Deformer Magnen-I is a level one earth attributed Machine type monster with 100 attack and defense points.)

He set a card facedown, calling the end of his turn. Demak smirked at him, seeing that Leo was trying to do his best and just going along as he could. Leo promised himself that he wouldn't allow himself to lose, no matter what. He had to protect Luna.

Yusei, Era, and Trudge watched as Demak drew his next card. Era's splitting headache was slowly going away but whenever it seemed it was gone, dizziness was back, rattling her mind. Whatever was going on, it had something to do with Luna and this Shadow Duel.

"This isn't looking good for Leo," Trudge muttered. Yusei said nothing and Era put her hands over her head, removing her helmet as her face twisted into a look of anxiety and concern. But also confusion and pain from the headache and dizziness. _'What's going on?'_ she thought. "I don't know how much he can hold out for," Trudge said.

Era's hands shakily gripped the helmet as she stood up and leaned against the duel runner. Yusei looked over at her and noticed Era's deep, worried breaths. But it wasn't all from the worry he thought it was.

"He's off to a rough start. But I know he's capable of holding his own. I've dueled him before and I know he can do this," Yusei said. He looked at her closely noticing it was something else. "Era, what's wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head not saying a word and turning to the duel. This worried Yusei more. _'Is this because of the prophecy? Am I getting headaches because the first control tower is being battled for? If that's so, then what'll happen in the coming battles?'_ Era thought.

Yusei looked at her for another minute or two before returning to the duel.

Demak once again activated the effect of his ape, seizing control on Leo's monster. However, that was exactly what Leo was hoping for. "Hope you don't mind, but since my Magnen is in defense mode…and is on your side of the field…None of your monsters can attack."

"No matter. I can release your monster to summon my own. Fighter's Ape!" Demak exclaimed. The Magnen was replaced by a brutish Gorilla-like creature. (Fighter's Ape is a level five dark attributed treated as a beast and warrior type, with 1900 attack points and 1200 defense points.)

"Hmmm…That's not a strong card for something that high in level…" Trudge muttered.

Then, Demak declared for his Ape to attack Leo directly. Trudge yelled, trying to say stop, worrying that Leo may be further damaged. But Leo wasn't afraid. He activated his facedown Trap card. "I'm activating the effect of my Remake Puzzle Trap!" Deformer Magnen-U burst into flames and disappeared from Demak's field. Fighter's Ape halted in his tracks. And in the same instant, Deformer Magnen-I reappeared on Leo's side of the field. "So, how do you like me now? I destroy one Deformer to end the battle phase, and then I get to special summon one as long as it's below the level of the one I destroyed!" Leo declared.

"You think you can save yourself with a cheap trick like that? You're so naïve. Nothing you do can protect that Signer you call your sister," Demak retorted. Leo growled at him. "The mark of the Crimson Dragon brings nothing but trouble," Demak sneered.

"That's not true! My sister and the others are trying to protect the world for the likes of you! Neither here…nor the Spirit World…will ever fall willingly!" Leo exclaimed.

Demak laughed at him. "You think I'm kidding? Were you not at the Fortune Cup? Your friend Akiza did some serious damage to the Kaiba Dome… and when Jack and Yusei summoned the Crimson Dragon in their title match, it nearly blew up the city! But none of these convinced me of my disliking for Signers, no… My hate of the Crimson Dragon goes back seventeen years… to the time of Zero Reverse."

Leo was silent. He knew about all of those things? _'Then again, word got around, even in the Satellite,'_ he supposed. "… Zero Reverse… that's what happened when the Original Ener-D Reactor… Momentum… that's when it malfunctioned." Leo stammered.

"Correct. And I was one of the first lives it claimed. Do you know why Zero Reverse happened?" he asked rhetorically.

"Uh…" Leo stuttered.

"It happened because it was the will of the Crimson Dragon. The Dragon wishes to subjugate humanity as it did the People of the Stars, using its destructive powers to do so. I was a simple investor who had put my faith in Momentum. But, when the explosion happened, I was obliterated in an instant. I never knew what hit me, until I was in the void of eternity…the space between life and the final resting place of your soul. Some spirits wait there, having been unfulfilled in their lives…wanting to do something before they pass on. Some become ghosts, and others simply wander the darkness, filled with anguish. I wanted to know what caused my death. My Earthbound Immortal came to me while I wandered, and gave me a second chance. It opened my eyes. I know that it was the Signers and the Crimson Dragon who had snuffed out the flame of my existence!" Demak explained.

There was a moment of silence. "My Immortal had once been a great hand of power in the Spirit World. I return for assisting it in conquest, I shall take revenge upon those responsible for my death…the bearers of the Crimson Dragon's Mark!"

"But…Luna and I weren't even born… And… It doesn't make any sense…" Leo said.

"Your sister is the Protector of the Spirit World. She is the thing that stands between us and our goal. As I said, there is nothing you can do to help her!" Demak said.

. . .

The forest was eerily quiet. The sunlight swirled as if the wind carried it along. Luna walked cautiously, with Torunka following close behind her.

Just as in the village, the leaves rose from the forest floor, reattaching themselves to trees. Flowers enclosed into buds and sank back into the darkness. Luna felt perhaps it wasn't just the Spirit World that was going backwards, but perhaps in some ways her world was going backwards too.

There was a subtle rustling in the grass. Torunka stood close by Luna. Suddenly, an ear-shattering roar came from behind them. Luna slowly turned her head and gasped at the massive beast that now confronted them. The white lion had thick steel armor across his fur, and his bright eyes glittered with fury. A horn protruded from his golden mane, resembling one possessed by a unicorn. It growled at them.

"Regulus!" Torunka cried. Luna looked at the bedraggled guardian, noticing its leg caught in the grip of a Minus Staff's U-head.

"Hey, Torunka! Do you think if we got that staff off of him…?" Luna began.

Torunka noticed it too. "I'm getting what you're suggesting…but how do we get him to hold still?"

Regulus approached them fearlessly. "So, Zeman chose to send more of his underlings after me? You're no Monkey Soldier… what manner of creature are you?"

"Please, Regulus, my name is Luna. I need your help in freeing Ancient Fairy Dragon! I was the one sent her by the Crimson Dragon…I'm a Signer!" she called.

"I'll never let you keep Ancient Fairy Dragon locked up!" The lion bellowed. "No spawn of the Earthbound Immortals is welcome here!"

Luna's face twisted into a puzzled expression. "No…That's not what I said at all!"

"I told you he couldn't be reasoned with!" Torunka tried to pull Luna away from Regulus. But she refused to move. Regulus bore his claws.

"So… you think you can reason with the likes of me…" Regulus said.

After a split second, Luna realized a pattern. "It seems like… he thinks we said the opposite of what we meant."

Torunka paused, taking a good look at the Minus Staff. "Now that I think about it… it makes perfect sense. The Minus Staff makes things go backwards, and that segment of one is around his leg. Do you suggest we say the opposite in order to mean what we actually want to say?"

Regulus was growing impatient. Luan noticed a couple of Soldiers running through the bushes. But they didn't stop to try and capture them. But why? "Hey…" She muttered.

Torunka perked up when he saw the soldiers fleeting through the shadows. "They probably think Regulus will tear us limb from limb, so they feel they have no need to worry about us," he spat. The wizard looked up at Luna, admiring the determined willpower reflected in her face.

Luna stood her ground, feeling it would be best not to get closer to Regulus. She felt the imminent fear of him fleeing if she attempted to do so. The wind swirled around her face and whispered like a ghastly apparition.

"Regulus, we are here to harm you. We have to be sure that Ancient Fairy Dragon is sealed away forever and the Spirit World falls to the shadows…" Luna felt strange and queasy saying those words, but then Regulus perked up.

"Lies! You said you were a servant of the shadows, and now you say that you intend to free her? What is your devious plan?" Regulus roared.

"I have a devious plan, all right. What you heard before was EXACTLY what I meant to say. There is nothing on your leg and it doesn't cause you to hear the opposite of what we say. We need you to squirm and run away while we not try to help you!"

"Okay… now you sound just plain strange…" Torunka muttered.

Regulus peered down at his leg. His line of vision caused him to see nothing but a distorted shadow in the shape of a U. But when he shifted his weight, he could feel the metal cut into him. "So what you say is true… Then I will allow you to pry this off. Perhaps then I will truly decide if you are friend or foe," he said.

Luna cautiously approached the white lion. He stood still as she came to grasp the U. Her Signer mark began to glow as she pulled. But she needed help. Torunka grabbed her free arm and the two of them managed to rip it free from Regulus. A trickle of blood caressed it, and Luna could see the skin worn and blood slowly staining the fur on the lion's leg. He licked his wound, trying not to take his eyes off of her as he did.

"Hey, see that?" Torunka pointed at two needles on top of each other, attached to the U. They appeared like clock hands.

"They resemble a Minus Sign, don't they? Why don't you try moving the hands so it looks like a Plus?" he asked. Luna pushed the top needle so it was facing up and down. Suddenly, a burst of energy came forth.

Leaves fell from the nearby trees and the wind seemed to run in the opposite direction from which it had been running. Regulus stopped attending to his wound and saw the mark glowing upon Luna's arm.

"Child… You bear the mark of the Crimson Dragon…" He carefully walked up to her, trying not to put too much pressure on his leg. He looked at Torunka.

"I see it will require more than one Minus Staff to revert everything back to normal. But, hopefully if we free Ancient Fairy Dragon, then all shall return to as it should be. Unfortunately, Zeman built his castle over the rock that seals her. I do not know how we would get in…"

"I have an idea," Torunka thought aloud, "Perhaps. I heard that if you managed to come to your senses, a bounty would be placed on your head, Regulus. What do you say we 'turn you in'? That will surely grant us entrance."

Regulus thought a moment. "It's probably the best chance we have of getting in there and saving Ancient Fairy Dragon and this world…" He looked over at Luna with his piercing gaze. "Tell me, Signer. What is your name?"

"My name…my name is Luna. I need to save this world. I was chosen to protect it. And I need to get back to the real world so I can protect my brother. I think he's in a duel with a Dark Signer and that he's probably hurt," she replied.

"Then let's not waste time. It looks like both our worlds depend on us to turn the tide of this fight. Come, we must go," Regulus stated.

…

Meanwhile, in the real world, the duel between Leo and Demak continued. Leo had taken his turn, and managed to summon two monsters to the field. One was Deformer Mobaphon, and by its special ability, he had summoned a second monster, Deformer Remocon. The two monsters on his field looked like robotic variations of a cell phone and a digital music player. (Deformer Mobaphon is a level one monster with 100 attack and defense points. Remocon is a level three tuner with 300 attack and 1200 defense points.)

Demak could see the possibility of a Synchro monster, so he tightened his focus, preparing for the worst. But, despite that, he felt he would have no trouble dealing with whatever Leo dished out.

Leo then activated a spell card. The card appeared on the field. A light glowed around his Deformer Magnen-I, raising its level to three.

"The effect of my Level Mirroring spell allows me to match a monster on my field with the level on a monster on your field." Leo explained. "I think you know what comes next. I Synchro summon my three monsters so I can bring forth…the protector of love and justice, and defender of peace. Power Tool Dragon!"

His monsters swirled around and disappeared into a pillar of light. When the light vanished, a golden, mechanical dragon had taken its place. On each of its arms were a massive screwdriver and a chainsaw. Its molten eyes glowed viciously at Demak. (Power tool dragon is a level seven Light attributed Machine type Synchro monster with 2300 attack and 2500 defense points.)

Yusei smiled as he watched the duel from above. "He finally got a Synchro monster out. That's good…" Trudge noted.

"His taking advantage of what Demak has is giving him an edge, but I believe it's not over yet. It will take more than a strong monster to take down that Dark Signer…" Era said.

"Next, I'm equipping Break Draw to my Power Tool Dragon. When destroy a monster you control my battle, I can draw one card. After I use this effect three times, I must discard this card," Leo informed.

Power Tool Dragon whirled its screwdriver. Leo declared his attack. The dragon jabbed at Magician's Ape, sending it flying into the Graveyard. Demak felt the hit from Leo's monster as his life points went down to 2500. He shivered as he gave Leo a baleful glare. Leo smiled.

"You think you've won? You got lucky this time," Demak said. He didn't seem bothered at all.

"I may not be a Signer, but I have Power Tool Dragon, so don't underestimate me, Demak. Make you move," Leo said.

Demak drew his card. "With pleasure. You'll regret saying those words." He looked at the card and immediately summoned a monster to the field. A strange, geometric blue creature resembling a monkey appeared, with pink lips and a golden brow. It growled at Power Tool Dragon. "This is my Dark Tuner, Dark Ape!" (Dark Ape is a level two Dark attributed Dark Tuner monster with no attack or defense points.) "Next, I will play the spell Dark Wave, which will turn my Ape's level to negative two!" A dark energy swirled around his new monster. Leo knew he was going to tune his Dark Ape with Fighter's Ape now. "A Synchro monster is no match for the power of my Dark Synchro monster! The ruler who shall turn the world to darkness! Zeman the Ape King!"

An ape with a flaming mane, and a regal black and gold armor and cloak of midnight blue appeared, with a large staff in hand. The staff twirled in its hands. (Zeman the Ape King is a level (negative) seven Dark Synchro monster with 2500 attack points and 1800 defense points.)

"Just as a warning, when Zeman attacks, you can't activate any spell or trap cards until the damage step. So if you were planning to pull anything on me… you can't."

Then, having summoned Zeman, Demak activated the effect of his Dark Ape, drawing a card from his deck. He immediately played it, revealing it as a field spell known as Closer Forest. A thick grove of trees surrounded them.

"This is bad," Yusei commented on the eerie forest around them.

"Yes… That card… It's a field spell. Now Demak has everything he needs to summon his Earthbound Immortal, save for his sacrifices," Era said worried. Her headache seemed to grow and the dizziness was growing with it rather than staying gone for the time being.

Demak smirked. "It also gives my Zeman a boost. 100 attack points for every Beast type monster in my graveyard, and I have five. So Zeman the Ape King now has 3000 attack points."

Leo's face turned pale. "3000!? Oh, man… I've really got to find a way to beat this guy… but that is just plain wrong! How am I going to take him down?"

"Do bother fretting yourself, little boy. I think I'll attack that pathetic mess of garbage you call a dragon," Demak taunted.

The Demonic Monkey King twirled his staff and threw a bolt of energy at Power Tool Dragon. The violet energy hit the dragon, but it raised its arms to block the attack. "My Power Tool Dragon has a special ability. I can sacrifice an equip spell card attached to it to prevent it from being destroyed. I choose to discard my Break Draw spell to activate this effect."

Demak sneered. "However, you still take damage." Flares from the impact curled past the dragon and burned hot against Leo's skin. He couldn't help but grinding his teeth as he felt it burning him. His life points sunk to 2500, and now he and Demak were even. He screamed from the intensity of the pain, but took a deep breath as it subsided after a minute or two.

Era wanted to rush in and help, but she knew the others would hold her back. But, it would not have mattered. Yusei could see her tensing up and glanced over at her. "It's just... it was bad enough seeing you getting hurt in that duel with Roman, but this is… it makes my stomach sick."

"I don't blame you. I hope this duel ends soon," Yusei replied.

_'If I remember correctly, this is only the beginning,'_ Era thought.

"Where on earth could Luna be? Doesn't she have any sense of what's going on?" Trudge clenched his fists. But Era and Yusei knew better than to correct him. He would probably still be resistant to the idea that Luna wasn't on this earth at all.


	23. Signs of the Monkey- Part 3

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut- Important for the next three chapters!**

**Chapter 21**

**Signs of the Monkey- Part 3**

Regulus had allowed Luna and Torunka to ride on his back. They had come to a river that stood between them and Zeman's castle. It burbled and ran, like everything else, in the opposite direction of its natural course. Dark clouds swirled around the ominous castle not too far beyond, which loomed over the land like a malicious sentry.

"This is probably where they took Kuribon and your Sunlight Unicorn, Luna..." Torunka mumbled with hardly any breath. Luna noticed the familiar rock silently sitting beneath. It was the stone in which Ancient Fairy Dragon was sealed, and her figure still graced its surface.

"So I was here before… but I never saw the castle before. But then again, Ancient Fairy Dragon wanted me to find you first, Regulus. Besides, I guess I was so concerned about figuring out what to do that I didn't pay attention…" She trailed off as Regulus shook his head.

"I understand, but none of that matters now, Luna. We mustn't was our time with regrets or idle conversation. Now, I believe you had a plan to infiltrate Zeman's fortress?" Regulus said.

Luna saw a nearby guard circling towards them, with a staff in hand. She noticed he carried a sack with him in his other hand. After thinking over what had happened so far, she knew what needed to be done.

"We need to knock out that sentry and we'll need the Minus Staff he carries. After that, we going to have to gather disguises," Luna explained.

Torunka managed a smile. "I can see where this is going…We're pretending to bring in Regulus as our prisoner, if I remember correctly."

"That's right." The guard drew into the line of sight, yelping when setting his eyes upon the group. Regulus swiftly batted him with his massive paws and leapt upon him in what seemed to be an instant. Luna looked over to see that simple maneuver had done the job. She gulped.

He grinned, bearing his fangs for a second or two. He glanced back at Luna. "What? One guard by himself is no match for my prowess. None of those whelps have been around as long as I have," he sneered at the comatose monkey.

"Okay." Luna carefully pulled the staff out of his grasp.

Regulus laughed. "You have nothing to fear from me now, Signer. We're on the same side," he said.

"I know," she replied. Torunka pulled the sack away and peeked inside.

"Looks like this guy had looted somewhere… it looks like… cloth?" Torunka shook the bag and a pile of clothes fell out. Among the garments was a tan tunic and head-wrap about Luna's size.

There was also a velvet turban and long shirt. She handed them to Torunka. He looked around to make sure none came before he pulled the shirt over himself and wrapped the large turban over his hat. "It could be his laundry…"

"Either way, we have our disguises now." Luna dressed into her disguise, wearing it over her clothes. She adjusted the wrap so it would cover her face, save for her eyes. Regulus noticed large cuffs dangling from the sentry's belt.

"If I am to be capture, they need to be convinced I am actually…" Regulus began.

"Captured?" Luna finished his sentence, understanding his point. Before Luna went to fascine them on the great lion, she looked at him with uncertainty. He nodded to her. She turned her gaze down to her feet. How was her brother doing at this point? Would she be able to return in time to help him?

"Fear not, Luna. We must believe we shall claim victory over this darkness," Regulus said.

The dark clouds above them seemed to be swirling faster. Torunka suddenly felt a tingling sensation as he shrunk a couple of inches in size. Luna also felt her clothes become a little looser and realized that she was getting smaller as well. She briskly wrapped some cloth over the Minus Staff to disguise the familiar U-shape.

"It's the power of Minus!" Torunka exclaimed, "If we don't hurry, it will revert us into infants and we'll eventually shrink out of existence! We need to move!"

. . .

Leo called for his turn and drew. He knew Demak's Ape King needed to be destroyed, but the possibility of his Earthbound Immortal was also looming. He turned to his Power Tool Dragon, and prayed his new strategy would work.

"I'm activating my dragon's special ability, which allows me to pick a random equip spell card from my deck and add it to my hand." Demak snickered. Leo closed his eyes, and nonchalantly chose his card. He flipped it over, and a look of ecstasy appeared on his face "Now you're in trouble, Demak! I just got Megamorph! And I'm equipping it to my Power Tool Dragon. It gets double its attack power and…" He played the card, but was shocked when nothing seemed to be happening. His monster's attack points remained unchanged. Demak burst out with a loud guffaw, dumbstruck by what he saw to be the apparent stupidity of his opponent.

"Such a fool! Our life points are even, you stupid boy! Megamorph doesn't work in your favor unless your life points are less than mine!"

Leo tried to keep himself cool despite the fact he had no other options in his hand. Demak was pleased to see him squirm, feeling it was right that he should be crushed for daring to challenge the Dark Signers, especially since he was just an ordinary human. It was true Signers were even more detestable to him, but his doom would be just the same.

He decided to take his turn, he drew his card. He confidently moved into the Battle Phase, assuming he had nothing to fear from Leo. Leo felt that because Power Tool Dragon was in defense mode and had an equip card, he was well guarded against Zeman. But, Demak soon revealed a facedown trap card.

"I activate Uproarious Earth! It allows Beast Type monsters to deal damage to my opponent even of the defending monster is in defense mode. In addition, if I attack your monster, its attack and defense are decreased by 300 points during the damage step!"

"What!?" Leo cried in shock.

A cursed flare fumed from Zeman's wand, striking his dragon. It struck Leo's dragon with a mighty blow, dropping Leo life points to 2000. Leo discarded Megamorph to save his dragon. He looked up and saw his monster scarred and beaten from the attack and gasped.

"Power Tool Dragon, your hurt!" His dragon's stats dropped by 300 points each. The dragon turned to him, as edged closer to Leo. It almost seemed as if it was concerned for him. Leo couldn't help but smile.

"You were protecting me…that's why I didn't get hurt, and you're all beaten up…" Leo sighed. Demak smirked.

"You and your dragon are pathetic, the lot of you," Demak mocked him. Yusei gritted his teeth as he watched. Leo pointed an accusing finger at Demak.

"I don't care how bad we look. We're not here to impress anyone. Me and my dragon and here to help and protect Luna, and that all that matters now. As long as I'm still here and my friends and my sister and rooting for me, I'll never give up. Now, finish you're turn, 'cause I've got something in store for you!"

"You're going to eat those words." Demak set a card down on his field in facedown position to end his turn. Leo only hoped he could live up to what he said.

"I hope Luna's doing okay," Era said. She had a good feeling what was going on in the Spirit world but there was no way to know for sure.

. . .

Within the throne room of Zeman, the ape king sat upon his throne, which was surrounded by hanging curtains of red velvet. The room was dimly lit and enclosed, with a familiar red carpet running through the middle. Stone tablets lined the walls with Duel Spirits sealed inside, their energy slowly being converted to Minus, as shown by star symbols shifting from the right side of the tablet to the left. Many of them would be used to fuel the Earthbound Immortal owned by Demak upon its summoning, Zeman thought. Surely his master would be pleased by this.

A monkey soldier came bursting into the room, catching his attention. He panted as he bowed weakly before his overlord. "Why have you disturbed me? State your business, soldier!" Zeman growled.

The soldier saluted and held his spear erect, trying to keep his feet from shaking. "My lord, the white lion, Regulus, has been captured, sir!"

The demonic ape smiled devilishly. "Is that so? Good work. Have him brought in. We shall make preparations so we can finally complete the consumption of the Spirit World. After so many failed attempts, I recently discovered Regulus was needed to turn the all-powerful Ancient Fairy Dragon into Minus! So long, even sealed into the stone, she has resisted me. But no more…"

"Sire…" The soldier mumbled. "We weren't the ones who captured Regulus. He was brought to us by a pair of traveling magicians. We are currently escorting them here. What should be done, sir?"

The king stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I was hoping that this news would mean the lot of you was more capable that I had thought. No matter, bring them in, they shall be responded to according to my wishes," he instructed.

The soldier departed behind the large iron doors. Luna and Torunka waited in their disguises. Regulus' feet were bound with loose chain, but they had sealed him in a fairly sturdy cage. Luna wondered if he would be able to escape in time.

"King Zeman shall see you now, please follow me," the soldier instructed.

They were lead into the throne room. Torunka and Luna took opposite sides of the cage as they as traveled to look in disgust upon Zeman, the Ape King. The soldier bowed and left them. Four guards were stationed around them, which made Torunka nervous.

"I'm impressed that two magicians so young could have ensnared Regulus," he spoke. Torunka's face turned red from his anxiety, which Zeman took to be a sign of modesty.

"Please, your lordship, we could not have done it alone. Separate we are your run of the mill spellbinders, but together we are a prodigy pair!" Torunka laughed nervously. Luna noticed a glass panel in the floor in front of them showing the ground below.

There was Ancient Fairy Dragon, sealed in the rock. Would this plan work? Luna could only hope she would fare well, and that he brother was doing the same. Both worlds depended upon the power of the Crimson Dragon to prevail.

The ritual was to begin immediately, after a brief thanks given by the Demonic Monkey King. Zeman held his own Minus Staff over the glass pane as he arose from his throne. He motioned to his guards, who proceeded to release Regulus from the cage.

Luna then waved her makeshift staff, pretending to cast a controlling spell on Regulus. "White Lion, your heart is sealed in my hand. Do my bidding and come forward!"

Regulus stepped cautiously out of the cage eyeing the soldiers, who backed away in amazement. He looked down into the glass pane and ground his teeth, ready to break his chains at any given moment. This was what he had been hoping for.

Everyone watched intently as Zeman recited an chant over the glass, and suddenly, a minus staff broke through the ground and burst through the glass. Shards scattered in all directions. Regulus blocked them from hitting Luna and Torunka, batting them away with his paws.

Luna mouthed a thank you. They looked back to see the rock emanating with a purple light. Ancient Fairy Dragon began to drift upwards, the stone falling away as he blue scales began to show underneath.

Regulus also had the same light around him. Then, in an instant, the Minus Staff that was floating before them shattered into fragments that fell to the ground below. Luna worried, hoping Regulus would act soon.

Torunka stepped forward, attracted to the powerful energy emitting from the reversal spell Zeman was casting. However, his foot caught the rim of his tunic, forcing him to fall over. Without realizing it, he grabbed onto the Minus Staff in Luna's hand. He held onto it firmly as Luna grabbed him with her free hand and pulled him up. She was relieved to see Zeman was not paying any attention to them. He was so eager to turn Ancient Fairy Dragon into Minus that it seemed he completely forgotten them. But, her hope took a dive when Torunka knocked her in the knee by accident, causing both of them to trip.

His hand slipped and took hold of the cloth concealing the true nature of Luna's staff and pulled it down. It tore into three ribbons as the glowing gold U of the Minus Staff glittered into the magical light.

The two of them gently turned their heads upwards, as they found themselves lying flat on their stomachs. Their make-shift turbans had rolled off, taking Torunka's actual hat with it. The cloth unraveled like a scrolls as it dripped out into the hole where the glass pane had been. Luna's iconic pigtails were down and Torunka's dark hair hung down, partially covering his face.

Zeman looked over, disturb by a fretful yelp let out by Torunka. Luna froze for a split-second in terror. Her innocent eyes became wide as her pulse quickened.

"A Minus Staff?" Zeman was startled and perplexed by the sight.

The monkey's soldiers scratched their eyes, initially unsure of what to make out of the situation. Ancient Fairy Dragon was still slowly shedding the rocky coating left from her stone prison. Her light-rosy eyes fixated on Zeman, who for a second had not thought of her as he tried to understand what was going on.

"How is it that you possess a Minus Staff like the ones used by myself and my soldiers? Explain yourselves!" he shouted accusingly.

Regulus bit down on his chains. He ripped them from his legs, and tossed them into the face of one of the soldiers, knocking his unconscious.

"I need that staff. Luna!" Regulus roared.

Luna tossed him the staff, which her held in his teeth. He just needed to keep Zeman at bay until Ancient Fairy Dragon was completely free. Zeman laughed at him. "So, these fools were in cahoots with you, is that it? You can't stop me! I can still use your energy to turn Ancient Fairy Dragon."

"Over my dead body, Zeman…" Regulus growled.

Just then, Luna's mark began to glow, letting her know that Ancient Fairy Dragon was ready to fight. But, Regulus had to protect her from Zeman. Torunka wished there was something he could do, and impulsively bounded up behind Zeman and pushed him into Regulus. Their two staffs clinked against one another, shooting sparks everywhere. Zeman caught his balance while trying to keep Regulus away from himself.

Suddenly, a powerful golden wave erupted from the two staffs, firmly being pushed against one another. The guards that were still in the room disintegrated and monsters imprisoned in the stone tablets began to flood out. Kuribon floated up behind Luna and tugged at her clothes. Luna took the tiny monster in her arms as a crimson barrier protected the two of them and Torunka from the physical power of the blast.

"No! The positive wave! But wait! You can't stop the Minus Curse… because I can transfer it to my master, the Dark Signer Demak!" A bolt of violet lightning struck Zeman's Staff, and the process of freeing the sealed Spirits ground to a halt.

But a few that had already been freed remained. They gathered around the broken glass pane and Ancient Fairy Dragon came up behind Zeman, bearing her teeth.

"The fight may not be over, but you're finished," she hissed at him. A burst of positive energy-infused light shot from her mouth and enveloped Zeman, turning him into dust. His staff clattered to the floor.

"Ancient Fairy Dragon…" Luna whimpered. The dragon turned to her, giving her a kind smile. She tried to approach her, but an invisible force prevented her from moving.

"Luna, you might have freed me from the stone prison, but I am still trapped, now that the Minus Curse is in the hands of Demak. I fear his Earthbound Immortal is fast coming…and will absorb the souls of the imprisoned duel spirits. I'm afraid you have to go back and help your brother finish the duel."

Luna looked down at her mark. "I understand, but I don't just want to leave you here."

Suddenly, she noticed Torunka had grown in size and his face aged. She figured he had returned to his true form in the few seconds when the Minus Curse was voided before being sent to Demak. He put his hand on her shoulder.

"Regulus and I will look after Ancient Fairy Dragon and the others over on this end. I'm afraid you have to go back now…" Torunka said.

Luna nodded and stepped back. "Don't worry, you'll see us again."

She managed a smile as her mark emitted a great light that poured out over her. In an instant, she was gone, and only a few trailing beams of crimson light remained.

"Now that I've got my powers back, I think we'll do just fine." He smirked as the remaining monkey soldiers stormed into the room. They had their weapons drawn, but they would be no match for the Dark Sage's restored power and Regulus.

But, ultimately, their fate was in Luna's hands.

. . .

Meanwhile, in the human world, Leo drew his next card. A wide smile drew across his face, knowing that now he had the card he needed to turn the tables on Demak.

"Demak, it doesn't matter how much you insult me, because I have a little surprise for you. My Dragon may have been weakened by your trap…but now I'm equipping it with the equip spell… Double Tool D&C!"

Power Tool Dragon's attack power jumped to 2000, now matching that of Zeman. A giant saw and screwdriver became attached to the dragon. Demak knew that if the two fought it would be a stale mate. But, he had forgotten something that would give Leo the upper hand.

"It seems like we're evenly matched," Leo laughed. "But do you remember my dragon's special ability? I can send an equip spell attached to him to the graveyard to prevent his destruction. I guess Zeman will be the only one losing."

"You!" Demak barked.

Power Tool Dragon took a swing at Zeman, chucking its newly equipped tools at him as the crushed the Demonic Monkey King under their weight. He slipped away into the shadows, finally destroyed.

"I… I… did it!" Leo exclaimed.

Trudge clapped for him, still watching from afar. Yusei couldn't help but smile. "This isn't over, but it's good to see that Leo pulled a fast one on him," Yusei said.

"Look!" Era pointed at the trap Demak then activated.

He described it to be Dark Matter, a card only activated when a Dark Synchro monster is destroyed. He drew two cards from his deck, which both happened to be monsters, and set them on the field in facedown defense position.

"It's obvious now… He's going to summon his Immortal." Era withdrew her hand. Yusei knew she was right, but Leo was not done with his turn yet.

"Before I end my turn, I'll equip my dragon with Power Converter." A big, bulky, mechanical energy generator form on Power Tool Dragon's back. His stats were unaffected, but Leo knew that the primary purpose of the card was not only protecting his dragon, but giving him some restoration that he needed, assuming he was attacked. He had no choice but to end his turn afterwards.

Demak drew his card and started his turn with eagerness. "You played right into my hand, boy. You've helped me get all the things I need to summon my Earthbound Immortal and complete your destruction. I think you know what comes now, don't you?"

Leo gulped. He wondered how Luna was fairing now. Had she freed Ancient Fairy Dragon yet? Was the Spirit World safe? He looked at the others watching him and sighed.

Demak then released the two monsters he'd special summoned and their energy combined to form a beating, rock-like heart in the sky. Dark energy emitted from it, causing Yusei's mark to burn with pain. Era's head began to throb with pain.

"It's coming…" she mumbled.

Bright light emerged from nowhere and circled around the heart. Leo noticed that nobody was getting absorbed by it.

"My Immortal is not like others," Demak explained. "It absorbs Duel Spirits turned into minus, not human spirits. Besides, you're my opponent, remember? So be thankful that your friends don't get to see you get sent to the Netherworld!" He called forth his Immortal, crying its name. "Earthbound Immortal Cusillu! I summon you to bring darkness upon the land!"

It formed around the beating heart, towering many stories above Leo and the others, about the size of a small skyscraper. It resembled a monkey, as that was the mark on Demak's arm, and the intricate lines running down and around its body were an eerie yellow. It raised its fists in a threatening stance. (Earthbound Immortal Cusillu is a level ten Dark attributed Beast Type monster with 2800 attack and 2400 defense points.)

"Oh, man, that thing is huge!" Leo exclaimed.

"Yes. Plus, it can attack you directly, but you can't attack it. You can't use magic or trap cards against it either. Oh, and do you remember Closer Forest? It gives my monster 100 points for beast monsters in my grave…and that leaves my Immortal with 3600 attack points!" Demak smiled devilishly. Leo winced.

"I still have my Power Converter. I'll send it to the graveyard to increase my life points by Power Tool Dragons attack power, which is 2000. Now I have 4000 life points." But Leo knew it also meant that Power Tool Dragon would have no attack points for this turn. But it would not matter anyway, since Cusillu could make a direct attack.

Cusillu struck down at Leo, just barely missing him. But the impact still caused him intense pain, and left with a meager 400 life points to keep him afloat. He refused to be defeated. Leo wouldn't let Demak come near his sister if it was the last thing he did. He lay on the ground, with bumps and a bruise on his face. He closed his eyes, suddenly hearing the voice of his sister echoing in his head.

"Luna, I've failed you. I shouldn't have rushed into this. I'm not a Signer, I'm not a hero like you. I'm sorry…" Leo whispered.

"Leo! You're not a failure! You're my hero and you're one the greatest people I know." He slowly looked up to see Luna emerging from a red light, stretching out her hand. Her eyes swelled with tears as she saw just how badly her brother had been hurt.

"She's back!" Trudge exclaimed. Yusei breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Era smiled the best she could with the throbbing headache. Luna helped him up and hugged her brother, who proceeded to cry in her arms. "Do you really mean it, Luna?"

"Of course," Luna responded.

"You really are the coolest sister ever, you know that?" Leo said.

In the midst of their heartfelt reunion, Demak called to Luna, "I see you have come to be prey for my Immortal, young Signer!"

Leo stepped away and helped to move his Duel Disk onto Luna's arm. She would have his 400 life points, and Power Tool Dragon would now serve her. It was her turn to take over things.

"Protect her well," he muttered to his dragon as he rubbed his aching head. Yusei noticed his mark was now glowing, and suspected it was the same for the others.

"I'll do my best, just like you, Leo. I've got everyone behind me…I won't lose to Demak. Not now. Not ever." However, Demak had not finished his turn, and he still had 2500 life points left. He then activated another trap card, which he declared to be Curse-bound Prison.

"I can take a monster in my Extra Deck and bring it to the field as a Special Summon in defense mode. However, it can't switch positions loses its effect. Tell me, Signer, how does it feel to face the dragon you are bound to as an enemy?"

Luna gasped as Ancient Fairy Dragon appeared, sealed with chains inside a cage. (Ancient Fairy Dragon is a level seven light attributed Dragon type monster that has 2100 attack and 3000 defense points.)

"Hold on, we'll get you out. I won't let that vision I saw the last time scare me," Luna said.

Demak finished his turn. It was Luna's turn now. She drew a card. "I'm going to use Power Tool Dragon's effect to add a random equip spell to my hand." She declared. She picked the card, equipping it to Power Tool Dragon right away. She explained it to be Central Shield which reduces all battle damage with monsters on her field except the equipped monster to nothing.

It wouldn't matter how invincible the Immortal was. Leo smiled at his sister, who returned it with a grin of her own. She set down Respect Synchron and Limiter Removal in facedown position on her field, and that was the end of her turn.

Demak drew his card to start his own turn. "I will attack with my immortal now and put you out of your misery! In fact, I think I'll attack Power Tool Dragon!" Demak exclaimed.

Cusillu moved to strike, but Luna quickly activated Limiter Removal, which doubled the attack of Power Tool Dragon. Demak was slightly unnerved. But, he felt he could get around it. His Earthbound Immortal vanished due to its attack backfiring on itself. But, it quickly reappeared. Ancient Fairy Dragon melted away, and so did her cage.

"By Sacrificing Ancient Fairy Dragon, I can protect Cusillu from being destroyed." His life points still went down to 2100. But, Luna's life points were halved to 200, due to the effect of Cusillu. She knew he had Ancient Fairy Dragon out just so he could protect it. But, it also gave her the opportunity she needed to rescue her beloved dragon from his clutches.

A sudden blast came from under her and zapped her strength. She almost fell, but Leo struggled to keep her standing. She reassured him that she was okay, and glared at Demak. Now it was time for her to put HIM out of his misery.

"You've triggered my trap, Respect Synchron! Because you used your Earthbound Immortal's effect and sent Ancient Fairy Dragon to the graveyard, I can resummon her to my side of the field, regardless of summoning conditions. Now Ancient Fairy Dragon is free and right where she belongs!" Luna informed.

The dragon flew up from a pillar of light and swirled around Luna, with her chains still attached. A transparent Regulus bounded from nowhere and ripped the chains from her limbs. Demak stepped back in terror.

"I didn't see this coming at all. You've actually freed Ancient Fairy Dragon! Still I don't need her. She was only a pawn in my plan," Demak said.

"Well, now she's ready to tear your plan to ribbons, because it's my turn now." She drew her card. Ancient Fairy Dragon looked at her, thanking her for finally fulfilling her promise to protect the Spirit World and set her free.

"That Dragon is…breathtaking!" Trudge cried.

Era smiled. It really was, more than when it was on TV. Yusei was also glad to see Luna's dragon at last, but now she had to finish off Demak's Earthbound Immortal. Power Tool Dragon still stood, unscathed, since Luna sent Central Shield to the graveyard to prevent it from having to be destroyed by Limiter Removal.

"Now we can finish this together, with both of our dragons." Luna told Leo. He nodded proudly. Demak's eyes widened as he lowered his head.

"I guess I should admit that was a very good move on your part, Signer. And now… I must return to the darkness. End this and do your part in this war…" Demak said.

Luna could see him beginning to shake and shiver. "I'm not doing this alone. I'm doing it with my brother, who is just as much a part of this as I am. All of us are going to restore peace to this world. Now, get ready!"

Leo drew the next card and showed it to Luna. She nodded.

"We'll start by activating the effect of Ancient Fairy Dragon, which destroys 1 Field Spell on the field and restores our life points by 1000," Luna stated to Demak. His Closer Forest immediately disappeared. Yusei concealed a smile.

"That means Cusillu's effects are negated and they can declare an attack on it now!" Era cried.

That was only thing. Cusillu's attack points also returned to 2800. Demak swallowed deeply, sensing the end coming. Luna then activated Power Tool Dragon's ability and added a random equip spell to her hand.

That instant, she equipped her two new cards. "Rocket Pilder will be equipped to Power Tool Dragon and Pain to Power will be equipped to Ancient Fairy Dragon." A rocket appeared on Power Tool Dragon's back, and Ancient Fairy Dragon had a silver ribbon around its neck. "Now, here's how this works," Leo explained to Demak, "I'll attack Cusillu with my Power Tool Dragon. But, thanks to the equip card, it can't be destroyed in battle. Plus, you Cusillu will lose attack points equal to my Power Tool Dragon's attack points."

Because they had recovered 1000 points with Ancient Fairy Dragon, they were still in the game when Power Tool Dragon struck Cusillu, terribly crippling it. Demak cringed at his maimed Earthbound Immortal. Only 800 of its attack points remained, and now the second part of their plan was in motion.

"You two are just gluttons for pain, aren't you?" Demak sneered.

"You could say that," said Luna. "But now the battle damage I received gets added as attack points to my Ancient Fairy Dragon, thanks to Pain to Power!"

Ancient Fairy Dragon now had 2900 attack points. It was time to declare the final strike and end the duel. Leo held her hand and they both declared an attack together.

"Ancient Fairy Dragon, end this!' Leo shouted.

"Chase those shadows away!" Luna called to it.

Ancient Fairy Dragon swooped into the air as it cloaked itself in a blinding white light, and hurled it as the now defenseless Earthbound Immortal. The power of the blast caused it to disintegrate in seconds, and the rest of Demak's life points disappeared along with it. Luna and Leo were the victorious.

They turned to each other with grateful smiles as the mark of the monkey vanished from the sky and the flames went away. But, Demak approached them, his body rapidly crumbling into dust. Leo jumped in front of Luna, hoping to protect her from a final effort of Demak.

But, as he was barely an inch away, his body collapsed and only a mound of dust remained that was quickly swept away by a mysterious wind.

Yusei stood up and put on his helmet; Era followed suit. "We should get going. We need to reach the tower where Kalin is waiting."

Era gave a small sigh of relief as her headache disappeared. _'I'm not sure what just happened, but I got a bad feeling it has to do with the prophecy,'_ Era thought.

Yusei looked at Era once more as they sat together on his duel runner. "Are you okay?" Yusei asked.

"Now, yeah," she answered.

Trudge called to Leo and Luna who scrambled up the hill and hopped into his car. "We'll come with you," Trudge insisted. "It's better if we slowly gather everyone together."

Yusei felt there was truth to his words, despite his uncertainties. He started up his Runner and the group traveled onward in the direction of Kalin's tower. So far, they had one victory, but a long day still lay ahead. They sealed the tower and took their way to head out to the next target.


	24. The Calm Before the Storm

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 22**

**The Calm Before the Storm**

As they drove, Era could feel another headache come up and this time she figured it was because Crow was about to battle Greiger. She remembered how Roman made Greiger a Dark Signer from the show.

"Era, are you sure you're okay?" Yusei asked concerned. "You seem like you're in a bit of pain."

"Just a headache," she answered. Yusei looked at her with uncertainty but didn't push.

They saw the light of another shadow duel and saw the outline appear in the sky. All but Era didn't know the line.

"Is that one of the two new Dark Signers?" Luna asked.

Era nodded. "Yeah, it's the mark of the whale. And Crow's battling it," Era said.

"Wait, Crow?!" Yusei exclaimed. She nodded.

Her headache intensified to extreme levels and she couldn't stop a small, quiet whimper as she used one hand to grip her head. Yusei looked at her. "Era, what's going on?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I… I don't know, Yusei… I… really don't," she mumbled.

"Yusei! Is something wrong with Era?" Leo called.

"Not sure. She said it was a headache earlier but this seems worse," Yusei said.

"_Child, the negative energy from the Shadow Duels is attacking your mind. Your mind is naturally defending itself and the power intensifies whenever an Earthbound Immortal is played. This is what causes your headaches. The more you are in or by, the more painful the headaches will get,"_ the Crimson Dragon informed.

"But… but I'll face five in total and Jack's will probably be close enough. And then there's _HIS_," Era muttered to the dragon, careful not to use Goodwin's name.

Yusei looked back hearing her words. "Era… what are you talking about?" Yusei asked.

"Is there a way to stop the headaches?" she asked the red dragon that flew above them, only known to her.

"_No, unfortunately, there isn't. You must endure them,"_ the Crimson Dragon said.

"E-Endure them?" she repeated. She wasn't sure if she could endure these headaches if they're only going to get worse.

"Era?" Yusei called. _'The Crimson Dragon must be talking to her. But who's this "him"? And what are the six things that'll happen?'_ Yusei thought.

"_You must endure. This will make you stronger and more capable to focus the power to keep you alive,"_ the red dragon stated.

"B-But…" Era began.

"_I must go now, child. Endure them and you will succeed with everything you need to,"_ the Crimson Dragon said before disappearing.

"Era…" Yusei said caringly. She looked at him. "Is everything okay? What's going on?"

"She… said that I have to 'endure' the headaches. That every time I am in or by a Shadow Duel my headaches will only get worse and will intensify whenever an Immortal is summoned. Including the whale's and Demak's, there will be seven I have to face," she said.

"Era, who is 'him'? Yusei asked.

She looked at him. "Someone you wouldn't expect," she said vaguely.

"And who is that?" Trudge asked driving up.

"G-Goodwin," she answered.

"Wait, Goodwin's a Dark Signer?" Luna asked frightened.

Era shook her head. "Not yet. Not at this point… but soon. Very soon," she said.

"So that's what you meant when you said you knew his plan. You knew he would become a Dark Signer," Yusei realized.

"Becoming a Dark Signer wasn't his entire plan," Era muttered but Yusei caught wind of it.

"What's the rest of his plan?" Yusei asked.

"You will get a hint from Roman when you face him. But I shouldn't give it away myself," Era said. "It's too dangerous."

"Sometimes I really hate that you know this stuff and can't tell us," Trudge said.

"Same," Era said.

"Era, how far into our future do you know?" Luna asked.

"All the way to when your careers as Signers comes to an end. When you all go your separate ways," Era answered. She knew that was a bit much for the time but she couldn't lie to them about that.

"Separate ways?" Leo asked. Era gave a small nod.

"We should get to Crow," she said.

"What about the headaches?" Yusei asked.

"I'll endure them. I already have one being so close. So it doesn't matter at this point," she responded.

Yusei gave her a long look before saying, "Okay, let's go."

With that they drove off.

**A/N: Sorry for the shortness of the chapter but they should be longer. Thanks for your appreciation of the story and I am really happy you all love my story. I honestly was worried this story wouldn't do so well. So when you guys leave the kind comments and vote and everything, it makes me happy.**

**Thank you all so much and the next chapter will be up soon!**


	25. Whale Call

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**In this chapter, it will be one whole duel. I didn't want to do anymore parts for this so here it is. Also, I am being lazy a bit and won't do much on writing the descriptions of the most monsters. If you want to know what they look like, you'll probably have to look them up online. Sorry about that.**

**Chapter 23**

**Whale Call**

They drove through the winding streets until they reached the flames. "Jump the flames, Yusei," Era said.

"What?!" Yusei asked shocked by her words.

"You heard me. If you're going to find out who the Dark Signer is, you're going to have to jump the flames," Era retorted.

Without another word, Yusei found a ramp made of broken concrete and jumped over the flames.

"Yusei! Era!" Luna called.

"It's okay guys! Keep going but stay on that side of the flames," Yusei ordered. He turned to Era. "Tell me again, why we needed to jump the flames instead of looking from the side with our friends?"

"To help him along," Era responded vaguely.

"You're not going to give me a straight answer are you?" Yusei asked.

She shook her head. "Because of events that are connected," she said. "And they must be connected as best as possible to make sure all of you stay safe."

"And that's why I like you. Because you can be different, especially when the time calls for it," Yusei said with a grin. Era blushed.

They zoomed forward and were close to catching up with the two dueling forces. When we finally get close enough, Yusei is shocked at the two duelists. Era, however, seemed calm and knowing. Not that it surprised Yusei that she was.

"Yusei, Era! What're you doing here?" Crow called.

"Coming to check out what's been happening," Yusei said. He turns to Greiger. "Greiger! What happened to you? Why are you a Dark Signer?"

"I have been reborn to seek revenge against Goodwin through the Dark Signers. You are Goodwin's pawn and thus, you are my enemy!" Greiger shouts.

"Listen, buster. We still have a duel going on and we're going to finish it," Crow broke in.

"No, you need to stop this duel. It's too dangerous," Yusei said.

"I'm not quitting. The Dark Signers took those kids and I have to avenge them," Crow said. He then explained that his parents were killed in Zero Reverse and what he did after.

"I'll take you on, for vengeance is the darkness of one's heart which will never die out," Greiger said.

"Or we can stop the duel before someone disappears for good. Greiger we all know you don't want to hurt people," Era said. "You have both suffered the same wounds and should be understanding of each other, not fighting."

"Where are we supposed to vent their anger, then?" Crow asked.

"Crow, revenge just makes more revenge," Yusei said.

'_He's right about that but I have to continue this duel,' _Crow thought. "Yusei, you have to understand. I have to see this duel through to the end," Crow said.

Yusei was about to say something else when Era touched his shoulder. "Let him do this, Yusei. You can't change his mind. This is something he has to do," she said.

Yusei sighed in defeat. _'She's right,' _he thought. He turned to Crow. "I understand, Crow. But I'll be right by you," Yusei agreed.

"Very well, then. Let's continue this duel!" Greiger said drawing his card. "I summon Spell Reactor RE and activate Summon Reactor SK's effect."

He then released all three all three of his current Reactor monsters and brought out Flying Fortress SKY FIRE. Using SKY FIRE's ability, he sent his Dark Tuner Doom Submarine from his hand to the graveyard and destroyed Crow's monster, Blackwing- Mistral the Silver Shield. "SKY FIRE! Attack Blackwing- Bora the Spear!" he shouted.

"I activate Mistral the Silver Shield's effect which makes all damage I would take to zero," Crow said defending himself.

Era let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "I end my turn," Greiger said.

Crow draws his card. "I summon Blackwing- Vayu the Emblem of Honor (Attack 800/ Defense 0)!" Crow announced.

"Not quite. Flying Fortress SKY FIRE's ability destroys your monster and you are dealt 800 points of damage!" Greiger informed. Crow original 3400 life points dropped to 2600 as his monster was destroyed.

"I activate my monster's effect! So by removing from my Vayu the Emblem of Honor and my Blackwing- Elphin the Raven from play, I can Synchro Summon Blackwing Armor Master!" he exclaimed. "And now I special summon Blackwing- Gale the Whirlwind. Now, Blackwing Armor Master, attack his Flying Fortress SKY FIRE!" His monster flew up and attacked. But due to SKY FIRE's effect, it's not destroyed and Crow takes no battle damage. But in the machine, a little, stone splinter was left. Era and Yusei knew what that was and what it did. "You see that little splinter, well it's a wedge counter and I'm going to remove it so that your monster's attack and defense points go to zero until the end phase." And Crow's wedge did its work as its points dropped to zero. "Now, Blackwing- Gale the Whirlwind, attack his monster!" Greiger's life points fell from his original 3100 to 1800. "I now set one card face down and end my turn."

Greiger drew his card and special summoned his Dark Tuner Doom Submarine from the graveyard using its effect. He then normal summoned Darksea Rescue (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in attack mode. "I will now dark synchro summon Dark Flattop (Attack 0/ Defense 3000 Level: -8) in defense mode! Since I used Darksea Rescue to Synchro Summon, I get to draw one card. And since the Synchro monster I made with Darksea Rescue is in defense position, I get to draw one more card. And now I use the effect of Dark Flattop! I now special summon Flying Fortress SKY FIRE from my graveyard in attack mode. I use Flying Fortress SKY FIRE's effect to send Star Blast from his hand to the Graveyard to destroy Blackwing Armor Master!" His monster is sadly destroyed and Era bites her lip. "Now, SKY FIRE! Attack his Blackwing- Gale the Whirlwind!" Crow's life points dropped from 2600 life points to 900 in a second making Yusei grit his teeth and Era worry. But Era was thankful it was going by the show. Greiger then set one card face down and ended his turn.

Crow draws a card. "I pass this turn," Crow growled frustrated.

Greiger draws and uses SKY FIRE's effect to send Darksea Float to the graveyard and destroyed Crow's set card, Fake Feather. He then followed through and ordered SKY FIRE to attack Crow directly.

Thankfully Crow activates a card, Blackwing- Backlash. It destroyed all of his opponent's monsters. "Well Crow, I get to draw one card thanks to Darksea Float's ability. I now set one card and activate Contaminated Earth! This card allows me to special summon my Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua in attack position." A giant black whale rises up with purple outlined designed. "And with that I end my turn."

Era was barely able to suppress a pained groan as her headache pound against her head. _'I have to endure it. For Crow and Yusei,'_ she thought. She turned her attention back to the duel.

Yusei flashed a worried look at her. _'If these are going to get worse with every duel, I hope her mind can endure them. She already is in a lot of pain and I don't want to think how much pain she'll be in for the last one,'_ he thought.

Crow drew his card. He then normal summons Blackwing- Fane the Steel Chain in attack mode. Crow then uses "Fane the Steel Chain" to attack Greiger directly via its own effect. His life points dropped from 1800 to 1300 making Era relieved that Crow was able to make a comeback. But would it be enough? "Now, due to Blackwing- Fane the Steel Chain's effect, your Earthbound Immortal gets switched to Defense Position and is not allowed to switch its Battle Position until the end of my next turn," Crow declared. "I set one card face down and end my turn."

"Then it's my turn," Greiger said drawing a card. "I activate the effect of Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua to inflict half its defense point as damage to you." Crow's life points dropped to a mere 100 points. "Next I summon, Darksea Rescue in attack mode. And now I activate Basara. By tributing a monster once per turn, I can destroy a monster you control that has a higher Level than the monster I tributed and inflict 800 points of damage to you. So I use the effect of "Basara" to Tribute "Darksea Rescue" and destroy "Fane the Steel Chain" as well as inflict 800 points of damage to you," he declared.

"Not so fast," Crow retorted. "I activate Guard Mines to negate the effect of your Basara and inflict 500 points of damage to you." Greiger went down to 800 life points which made Era sigh in relief. _'Lucky it's going according to the way it should,'_ she thought.

Greiger growled. "I end my turn," he said.

"My turn!" Crow exclaimed drawing his card. "I first set a card face down and then summon Blackwing- Blizzard of the Far North in attack position (Attack 1300/ Defense 0). And due to its effect, I get to special summon Blackwing- Shura the Blue Flame in defense mode (Attack 1800/ Defense 1200). Now I tune my three Blackwings together to Synchro Summon, Blackwing- Silverwind the Ascendant in attack mode (Attack 2800/ Defense 2000)!"

"Due to Chacu Challhua's effect, you can't conduct your Battle Phase so long as "Chacu Challhua" is in defense position," Greiger states.

Era knew this ending like the back of her hand. So when Crow said his lines, she couldn't help get worried. "I use Blackwing- Silverwind the Ascendant's effect to destroy Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua because its defense is lower than Silverwind's defense," Crow declared.

But as soon as it was about to play, Crow, Era, and Yusei all see images of children. Greiger looks up and sees the children. "They're my brother and sister plus the other children of my home," he stated. "I realize now who was really responsible for the destruction of my village and the loss of my people there: the Dark Signers."

He tries to forfeit, but the geoglyph on his arm refuses to let this happen and tries to possess him. _"You are mine. You made a promise to help the Dark Signers and the Immortals and destroy the Signers! A promise you will keep!"_ yelled the Immortal.

But Era saw that the conflicting feelings of Greiger won't allow it. Era wanted to look away but her eyes were frozen in fear as the geoglyph possessed him.

"I end my turn," Crow said.

This new Greiger drew his card. He cackled maniacally. _**"I have taken your friend and soon I will take you to the Netherworld!"**_he declared. Era grew worried. This was darker than what she saw and it frightened her. Yusei tensed. _**"First off, I'll switch my Earthbound Immortal to attack mode. Then, using his effect, I'll attack Crow directly."**_

"Not quite! I activate my Parasite Mind. This card lets me activate Basara as if I were the controller of it," Crow said.

"_**WHAT?!"**_ the demon controlled Greiger exclaimed.

Crow tributed Blackwing- Silverwind the Ascendant. In turn, Greiger's Earthbound Immortal was destroyed and Greiger life points dropped to zero. As the Immortal dropped to the ground all of the souls it had were released and freed.

The geoglyph disappears, and Crow is pleased with his victory. Era looked up and saw a giant boulder is about to crush Crow. "CROW!" she cried.

Luckily, Greiger pushes Crow to get him out of harm's way. But, Greiger is crushed by the giant boulder instead. Crow and Yusei try to rescue and pull Greiger out. "Greiger, it's not your time yet," Yusei said.

"Are you three… okay?" Greiger asked.

"Why would you save me?" Crow asked not responding to the question. Era had tears in her eyes threatening to spill over. But she had to be strong.

"I saved the people in my village," he replies. Era looked at Crow to see he was obviously touched by his words. "Find the children you took care of… raise them well," Greiger said.

"I will. I promise," Crow agrees.

"Yusei, you were right," Greiger said and Yusei looked at him. "Nothing remains after revenge. Please, defeat the Dark Signers."

Era looked away as he crumbled to dust a couple tears slip down her face. Crow and Yusei were saddened by his death and Era heard Yusei swear he will carry on with Greiger's promises.

Crow and Yusei get up from their crouch and Yusei walks over to Era with a comforting face and placed an equally comforting hand on her shoulder. "Come on, we better keep moving," Yusei said.

Era nodded wiping away the tears. The three of them meet back up with Trudge, Leo, and Luna. "So, you heading to face Kalin, Yusei?" Crow asked. Yusei nodded. "Then we need to get going."

Era boarded with Yusei on his duel runner and the now six of the left to the tower of the giant.


	26. Fighting a Giant

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut- Important for this chapter!**

**Chapter 24**

**Fighting a Giant**

For most of the ride, everyone was silent. Era decided to whisper to Yusei but was sure no one else could hear it. She wasn't even sure what she was going to say, but it came out automatically. "Yusei?"

"Yes Era?" he responded.

She hesitated a moment before speaking again. She stammered a bit. "I… I still love you, Yusei. Just so you know… I… love you… no matter what." But her eyes widened and she blushed realizing exactly what she said.

Yusei said nothing at first and this made Era uneasy. But, she supposed it may have nothing to do with her. She turned her gaze down at the ground underneath them. _'Why did I say that? This isn't the time! Plus what if he's given up the feelings for me? Ugh… I'm such an idiot!'_ she yelled at herself.

But something Yusei said shocked her, "I love you too, Era."

She felt like she was going to cry again from the familiar fear when the outline of the tower became visible. She inhaled calmly and eased her urge to shed tears. She had shed enough of them for now.

As they got closer, they could see that Kalin was waiting for them. He revved the engine of his Runner and went straight for Yusei. Dust kicked up and Trudge took Leo and Luna to a section of road on higher ground nearby.

"Well, I was starting to think you weren't going to show up, Yusei!" He snickered. Yusei put on the breaks to let Era off. As she got off, she allowed her eyes to meet his. She gave him back the spare helmet.

"This is your fight now… We'll be watching you… break a leg…" Era said.

Yusei nodded and she ran to go join the others. Kalin saw Crow ride up out of the corner of his eye as he watched Era with anticipation. He stopped laughing, but his mouth was still curled into a manic smile.

"…AND you brought the pretty mouse? Roman said we still need her and I intend to take her… so we can have more fun." He started cackling again. Yusei glared at him followed by Era. Everyone looked at her confused by what he meant. "It will make this revenge all the more satisfying."

Crow stopped his Runner and went up to Era. "Era, what is he talking about?" he asked. Crow's face twisted with worry.

Era ignored his question and looked at Kalin. "Kalin, you will never hurt another soul after this," she said.

"What makes you think that, pretty mouse? Once Yusei's gone, you'll be coming with me and you'll be just like us," Kalin said with a grin.

"In your dreams," Era responded.

Crow shook his head and thought, _'What are they talking about? What did he do to her and when?'_

Kalin started to laugh a little harder. "Interesting…" Kalin mused. "You still got your bite, pretty mouse."

"When are you going to learn that my name is Era?" She meekly asked, "It's not 'pretty mouse' or any other thing you call me… It's Era!"

"You're talking back. Should I be scared? Should I be shaking in my boots?" he mocked her as he let out a maniacal chuckle.

"Just know this. I'm not afraid of you!" Era yelled. She paused. "I hope that by your defeat, the Dark Signer who hurt me will die, and the person who died and gave rise to you will get a second chance." _'Though I know it will if it stays to the plotline,'_ Era thought.

"Ha! You talk as if I'm two separate people! Maybe I've finally made you crack…" Kalin sneered.

"Whether it's right or wrong… It's the only way I can know whether you truly are the person you should be," Era retorted. "I wasn't wrong," she muttered.

"I believe you, Era. After all, doesn't it seem like none of the Dark Signers are the same people they once were?" Crow said.

Images of all the Dark Signers and their pervious lives flashed quickly through Era's mind. Her memory of the show helping remind her of the truth.

"No, and after what happened with Greiger… I think that what we see is more of their Earthbound Immortal… or at least its influence… than it is entirely… them. I know that the twins would agree with me after that," Era responded.

She stood at the edge of the high road, watching anxiously as Kalin and Yusei started up their Runners and engaged for their duel. The purple fire that formed the mark of the giant was already forming below.

Era's head began to pulse with pain again but she fought it and tried to shove the pain deep inside her. She had to watch the duel.

"Remember, Yusei is fighting not just to save the world or the people trapped inside Ccapac Apu… He's also trying to save his friend," Era mumbled.

"Right, most of the Dark Signers are not the ones who were really fighting, it's their Earthbound Immortals," Luna said.

"Most…" Era wondered aloud. "You're right. Roman may be an exception to that. I can't explain it very well, but…"

Just then, they heard a loud thud and the roar of an engine, followed by a pair of familiar voices.

Luna's Signer mark began shining and Era's mark followed, radiating the light of the Crimson Dragon and celestial beings.

"The duel is starting," Era said and saw Kalin and Yusei down below on their Runners.

"This time, you'll pay in full for sending me to my death, Yusei! The final duel of Team Satisfaction will come to pass!" Kalin revved his engine.

The two of them went speeding off down the path created by the flames. Yusei struggled to move ahead to win the first turn, only to find Kalin ramming into him and pushing him out of the way.

"Kalin, it was never what you thought!" Yusei protested. Kalin had made it past the first turn in the path, and so he took the first move in the duel.

He swiftly drew his card. "I'll start things off by summoning my Infernity Necromancer in defense mode!" (Infernity Necromancer is a level three Dark attributed Spellcaster Type monster with 0 attack points and 2000 defense points.) The Necromancer appeared to be a masked fiend with long, bushy blue hair and an adorned in blue garments. It took a defensive stance as it floated in midair alongside Kalin's Runner. Kalin then set another card as a facedown to end his turn.

Yusei knew the minute he played an Infernity monster that he would be trying to use his handless combo against him. He didn't have much luck last time, but he knew he had to act and try to keep cards in Kalin's hand, if he could.

"Come and get me, Yusei! I want to make you suffer for betraying me!" Kalin taunted.

Yusei drew his first card, which he saw was a card called Limiter Break. At that moment, he was remembering when things began to fall apart between the members of Team Satisfaction.

**~Flashback~**

_They had gained a dominant hold over the Satellite and had eliminated most of the gangs, except for a few stragglers. Some of the gangs had given Team Satisfaction the nickname 'The Enforcers' because of their vigilante behavior, including the destruction of the other gang's Duel Disks when they lost against them._

_Yusei, Jack, and Crow believed they had accomplished themselves and made the Satellite a safer place as they had intended when their gang was first formed._

_It wasn't enough for Kalin, though. Even the few weak ones that were left were still a threat in his eyes. Anyone with a Duel Disk he called their enemies. Even though it wasn't revealed until later, he included Sector Security among those enemies._

_Things got worse when they went to go take care of a few duelists remaining from a gang known as Team Insect from one of the central districts. They had defeated the gang's major members and their leader, but a few of their younger members were trying to band together and get back on their feet._

_That's when Yusei learned that Kalin was changing for the worse. Yusei and Crow had quickly disarmed two of the young gang members and damaged their Disks. But, they had an uneasy feeling about what they were doing. When the boys were defeated, they urged then to take their decks and leave. Because they were afraid, the boys listened and bolted without any question._

_Then, they heard a cry from a nearby alley, where Kalin had engaged the remaining one, the youngest of the group, in a duel._

_He had taken him down easily and his Duel Disk had been disabled. Yusei and Crow rushed over to see Kalin also crush the Duel Disk with his foot, utterly ruining it. On that cloudy day, he leered over at the boy and chuckled perniciously._

_"You shouldn't have gone into the duel world half-cocked like that. Now this is what half-hearted preparation has cost you!" he yelled._

_He was about to stomp over the terrified boy when Crow leapt in and tackled him to the ground. The boy, with Crow's urging, dashed away with his deck. Kalin pushed Crow off of him and proceeded to sock him in the gut._

_"What the hell do you think you're doing Crow? Why are you letting him escape?" Crow and Kalin started were about to get into it with each other, when Yusei saw the boy peak his head out from behind a corner. He shook his head and motioned to the boy to leave. The boy finally slipped out from view and disappeared._

_Jack came running up, having seen everything. He grabbed Kalin's arm to prevent him from punching Crow again. Yusei had also restrained Crow, but released him upon Crow's request._

_Crow glared at Kalin. "I've had enough of this! It's one thing to try and make the Satellite safe from thugs… but these were kids! How can you even think it's okay to hurt kids?!"_

_Kalin fell silent, but Jack still held his arm._

_"What's worse is that we've been using dueling as a weapon of war… in that way we might be as dangerous as the gangs we eliminated… Dueling is something that should be enjoyed, not forced upon people. It doesn't matter who you duel or when you duel…that's what it was meant to be. NOBODY has the right to take that away from people. Not me… especially not YOU!"_

_Jack finally let Kalin go. He looked at Crow with uncertainty. It was if he wasn't sure what he should feel. "Crow…" Kalin hesitated. Crow turned his back to Kalin._

_"Save it. I'm done with all of this insane stuff. I'm leaving Team Satisfaction for good." At that moment, Crow walked away._

_"Crow! Aren't we a Team? Aren't you my friend? Answer me, Crow!"_

_Crow said nothing. At that moment, Jack also walked away, only he gave no explanation. Yusei saw on his face that he couldn't stomach what had happened either or what was beginning to happen to Kalin._

_Kalin tried to call them back, but they didn't come. At that point, he turned to Yusei. "You…You're not going to leave me too, are you, Yusei? I'm still your friend…we're still a team, right?" he asked._

_Yusei could only nod, but at that point he wasn't going to leave Kalin like Jack and Crow. Kalin needed him as a friend, and he couldn't just leave his friend behind._

**~Flashback Ended~**

Yusei's attention was called back to the duel when he heard Kalin's voice shattering his train of thought.

"Aren't you going to make a move, Yusei? I'm waiting…" He cackled. Yusei picked a monster from his hand.

"I'm summoning Max Warrior in attack mode!" Max Warrior appeared on the field, bearing a large, U-shaped spear. It looked like an ancient soldier fashioned from steel and stone with a string of golden orbs around its neck and a billowing green cape. (Max Warrior is a level four Wind attributed Warrior Type monster with 1800 attack points and 800 defense points.)

"My Infernity Necromancer is still stronger than that! I guess you're not that right in the head yourself, are you, Yusei?" Kalin sneered.

Yusei shook his head. "As far as I know, I'm still sane. Because I can give my Warrior a 400 point boost to its attack power via its special ability!"

With its attack power now at 2200, Max Warrior was more than capable of destroying Infernity Necromancer. With one swoop, Max Warrior smashed the Necromancer and caused it to shatter. The monster disappeared and Kalin sent the card to his graveyard. Then, Max Warrior's attack dropped to 900 and its level was reduced to two.

"The effect I activated comes at a cost and my Max Warrior becomes weaker, but I can live with that."

Kalin snickered. He was roughed up a bit from the attack but felt no pain because he didn't take any damage to his life points. "Oh, you can? I suppose you can also live with the fact its left you open to a counterattack, too."

Yusei said nothing. He thought about how he had hung on with Kalin until it was too late to make much of a difference with him. He wondered if back then he could have even if he had left sooner.

Yusei chose to end his turned by placing three cards down on his field. Hopefully that would give him a fighting chance.

It was back to Kalin now. Kalin drew his next card with a sickening glee. "I think I'll start off by activating my trap card…Impulse of Limit! With it, I can discard two cards from my hand to summon two Soul Tokens to my field."

He sent the two cards to his graveyard and two ominous, ghastly figures appeared, swirling around Kalin's Runner. He chuckled to himself. Yusei wasn't doing much better than in his last match, he thought. Perhaps this would be easier than he had hoped.

"Next, I will release them as offerings to summon my Dark Tuner, Nightmare Hand!" He declared. Yusei's eyes widened, having remembered that card from the last duel. Kalin was going to perform a Dark Synchro summon. Era's breath caught in her throat. This wasn't good.

A familiar fiendish creature appeared, taking the place of the two Soul Tokens. It smiled devilishly, with its oversized hands outstretched. "Now that I have summoned my Dark Tuner, I can use its special ability to summon Infernity Dwarf from my hand, leaving me without any more cards in my hand."

A small, dark-skinned dwarf with a stout build took to the field, carrying a sharp axe in both hands. Its smoldering eyes conveyed a sense of doom. Yusei anticipated his next move. (Infernity Dwarf is a level two Dark attributed Fiend type monster with 800 attack and 500 defense points.)

"Now Yusei, I will tune my Nightmare hand with my Infernity Dwarf to being forth my Dark Synchro… One-Hundred Eyed Dragon!"

Nightmare Hand disappeared and a dark shadow swept over Infernity Dwarf. It seemed as if the very life of his monster was being squeezed out of it. A pillar of black energy formed and swallowed the Dwarf and the dark shadow.

"When a shadow falls prey to a darker shadow, the eyes of the Netherworld are opened to witness a terrifying birth!" When the pillar of energy dispersed, Yusei found himself once again staring into the eyes of Kalin's fearsome dragon. It hovered above its master with its fleshy, bat-like wings. The eyes covering its sickeningly black body were all fixed on Yusei. The dragon howled as if with a mocking laughter. (One-Hundred Eyed Dragon is a level negative eight Dark attributed Dragon type Dark Synchro monster with 3000 attack and 2500 defense points.)

'_It was a daunting task to destroy this dragon in my last duel,'_ Yusei thought. How would he destroy it for a second time? Only he knew.

"Now, my dragon will attack your weakened warrior with Infinity Sight Stream!" Kalin pointed to Max Warrior.

A ball of violet sparks gathered in the dragon's mouth. It turned its head to let loose the attack upon Yusei's monster. His monster was shattered into pieces that came flying in his direction.

Yusei cried out from the pain inflicted on him by the force of the blast. He took a severe 2100 points of damage, leaving him with only 1900 points left in the duel. He also lost his speed counters that he'd gained since the beginning.

"Yusei!" Era called to him, also feeling an agonizing surge that ran down her back. Kalin smirked at him.

"This isn't good," Crow muttered.

"Is this really so painful for you, Yusei? I would have thought you had a higher tolerance for pain!" Kalin mocked him.

Yusei responded by activating one of his Trap Cards. "Since you've destroyed my Max Warrior, I can send a card to the graveyard to activate Revival Ticket! I get back all the damage you just dealt to me and add it to my life points, and I can revive my Max Warrior as well."

Another one of his Traps cards disappeared. Yusei felt a wave of relief as he was returned up to 4000 life points. His Max Warrior returned, with all its original power intact, staring defiantly at the dragon that had just destroyed it.

"Also, the card I just sent to the graveyard was Limiter Break, which can only be activated by being sent to the graveyard. It allows me to Special Summon a Speed Warrior from my deck or graveyard."

His Speed Warrior appeared in a flash, assuming an offensive stance with its chrome-like, shimmering body. Kalin winced.

"Not bad at all, Yusei. I'm surprised. But, you're going to have to start fighting back. Then again, what can you do against my One-Hundred Eyed Dragon, you nearly-dead traitor!" Kalin yelled.

With that being said, Kalin finished his turn. The two of them turned a sharp corner as the buck was passed to Yusei. He drew his card.

He began remembering how things fell apart.

**~Flashback~**

_Kalin eventually told Yusei of his plan to challenge Sector Security, and how he had wanted him to go find Jack and Crow and somehow convince them to come back._

_Yusei refused and said that such a thing was crazy and Kalin didn't understand how dangerous it was. When Kalin accused him of being scared, he snapped. Yet, when he had him by the collar, he realized that just getting angry wasn't going to convince Kalin not to go through with it. That's when he left._

_He thought that if Kalin was left to himself he wouldn't do it. Yusei didn't know then how far from the truth his assumption was. He couldn't make any now. All he could do was hope to turn things around._

_Kalin recalled how the night had started. He had rigged a Duel Disk confiscated by Sector Security. He activated the explosives by setting one of his Trap Cards onto his own Duel Disk._

_The explosion blew a wall wide open in the Sector Security Building. As he looked onward from a nearby rooftop, he thought to himself that they had clearly gotten the message. He had challenged Sector Security, and the final duel of Team Satisfaction had begun._

_It wasn't long before Sector Security deployed and they started searching Satellite for whoever caused the explosion. As he ran to look for a hiding place, he could feel the rush of adrenaline. 'If I succeeded, I would achieve my ultimate satisfaction,' he thought._

_But soon, Yusei, Jack, and Crow got wind of the chase. They came looking for him in the pouring rain, hoping to find him before Sector Security._

_'And they turned on me,' he thought. 'Yusei sold me out and the others did nothing.' They stood back as Security dragged him to what was for him…a long, agonizing death sentence._

**~Flashback Ended~**

Yusei turned his attention back to the game and looked at the cards in his hand and out on the field. All he could do for now was keep himself alive. He was getting Speed Counters again, but it wasn't enough.

"I'm activating Desperate Treasure, the last face down on my field! Since the attack power of my Max Warrior and my Speed Warrior are lower than your monster, I can draw two cards this turn. But, I cannot summon anything or change the position of my monsters," Yusei said.

Yusei drew his two cards. Kalin let out a blood-curdling laugh. "You're so pathetic, Yusei! You can't even change your monsters to defense mode to protect yourself, and all so you can draw two cards! How unsatisfying… After your last move I thought you would do better…" he said.

Yusei ignored Kalin mocking him and set two face down cards on the field to finish his turn. "It's your move, Kalin."

"Don't give up on him, things are just getting started," Era said noticing the twins worried looks. Crow and Trudge nodded in agreement.

"Yeah." Leo agreed, "What she said." He was obviously trying to look like he was fine. Era decided to let him act as it might help him.

Crow sat quietly on his Runner. He was the first one to hear the news that rainy night, and he was the one who told Jack and Yusei about Kalin being hunted by Sector Security. He quickly turned his attention back to the duel.

Kalin drew his card. "Now, I'll use the effect of my dragon to consume the power of Infernity Necromancer and use it to summon Infernity Fiend from my graveyard in attack mode!"

Without any cards in his hands, Kalin was able to complete his resurrection of the monster he'd earlier sent to the graveyard by Impulse of Limit. Infernity Fiend rose into the air, its red eyes rolling inside of its twisted skull and its dark-colored robes fluttering in the wake of the rushing wind. (Infernity Fiend is a level four Dark attributed Fiend Type monster with 1800 attack and 1200 defense points.)

"I activate a trap card known as Slip Summon. When you summon a monster to the field, I can summon a monster that's level four or less in defense position for the remainder of the turn. I choose to summon Ghost Gaurdna!" A White, Mechanical figure floated in front of Yusei's monsters. Its body was tinged in blue as it took a protective stance. Its green eyes stared at Kalin and his monster blankly, as if without fear. (Ghost Gaurdna is a level four Dark attributed Warrior type monster with no attack and 1900 defense points.)

"You're still struggling to protect yourself! My handless combo will rip you apart like it did last time!" Kalin exclaimed with a cackle.

Kalin then immediately called for his dragon to attack Speed Warrior, Yusei's weakest monster. Thinking quickly, Yusei called for his Ghost Guardna to defend Speed Warrior. "Now I can switch your attack to my Ghost Guardna and protect myself."

"Not a chance Yusei. I can use the effect of my Infernity Dwarf and use it on my One-Hundred Eyed Dragon! I'll deal damage to you even if your monster is in defense mode…" Kalin informed.

The blast from his dragon blew Yusei's monster back and shattered parts of its metal armor, costing him 1100 points in damage, leaving him now with 2900 to spare. The force of the attack pushed his Runner back, causing him to just barely hit the wall of flames.

"Don't give up, now Yusei. I haven't had enough yet! I want to see you squirm even more before you die…" Kalin chuckled.

Yusei managed to pull away from the wall and get back on track. He trailed behind Kalin. Without enough speed, he couldn't keep up. But he could keep going.

"I'm not done yet, Kalin. When my Ghost Guardna is destroyed, I can decrease the attack power of one of your monsters by 1000 points until the end of the turn."

Kalin was surprised to see his Infernity Fiend dragging sluggishly along. With only 800 attack points now, it would be pointless to make another attack. Max Warrior would easily defeat his weakened monster. Feeling annoyed, Kalin finished his turn.

Yusei drew his next card. "I'll start by summoning Junk Synchron in attack mode!" His orange-painted mechanical soldier took to the field, its white scarf flapping in the breeze like a banner. It leered at Kalin's monsters as if disgusted. "I think you know what's coming next…I'm going to Sychro Summon Junk Warrior by tuning by Junk Synchron and Speed Warrior together!"

The two monsters were consumed by a column of white light. When it disappeared, the tall, blue-chrome fighter appeared, skating through the air. Its red goggles glowed bright red and it clenched its fists, ready to fight. (Junk Warrior is a level five Dark attributed Warrior type Synchro monster with 2300 attack and 1300 defense points.)

Then, Yusei activated another one of his Trap Cards. It was a card called Synchro Striker Unit. A giant, silvery missile was now gripped tightly in Junk Warrior's hands. "This card will give my Junk Warrior a 1000 attack point boost, in return for a reduction every turn after this one."

Junk Warrior's attack points jumped to 3300. Everyone watching hoped that this attempt to destroy Kalin's dragon would work. Yusei first declared an attack with his Max Warrior against Infernity Fiend, applying the 400 point boost to Max Warrior thanks to its own special ability.

It was necessary, since Infernity Fiend had regained all of its attack points. However, Kalin was waiting for him to attack. "I think you're underestimating the power of my handless combo, Yusei. I'll defend my Fiend with my trap card, Infernity Force!"

A black barrier blocked Infernity Fiend and the second Max Warrior came into contact with it, it began to tremble. A surge of dark energy pulsated from the barrier and struck it down. It plummeted with a loud thud; Max Warrior disintegrated into dust and was destroyed.

"As long as no cards are in my hand, I can use this card when you declare an attack on me. It destroys the monster you attacked with and allows me to summon an Infernity monster of level four or less from my graveyard," Kalin informed. The black barrier bended into a ball of matter that formed into the shadowy figure of a monster. The blackness fell away, revealing Kalin's Infernity Necromancer, returned from the grave.

"As you can see, I've chosen to bring my Infernity Necromancer back in defense mode." Kalin snickered. He paused. "You're not done yet, are you?"

"No. I'm not, Kalin. My Junk Warrior will now attack your One-Hundred Eyed Dragon and there's nothing you can do to stop it!"

Junk Warrior spun around and flung the missile at the dragon. On impact, the missile exploded, incinerating the creature. Specks of debris fell in Kalin's direction, causing a few minor scratches in his jacket. One drew a trickle of blood from his upper arm and caused him to grimace.

Yet, the attack only dealt him 300 points of damage, and he still had a hefty 3700 remaining. He was still ahead of Yusei. In fact, Yusei did exactly what he wanted him to do.

As he watched the debris scatter, Crow felt a wretched lurch in his gut. "No… he might have destroyed that dragon. But now that it's happened… Kalin can add a card from his deck to his hand, just like last time."

Kalin selected the card from his deck. After he added it to his hand, Yusei felt he couldn't do much else. He set two more cards down on the field to end his turn.

Yusei knew exactly which card Kalin had picked. He took a look at his Junk Warrior, who was suffering from the after effect of his trap. Its attack points dropped to 2500. It wouldn't matter, since the card Kalin's card could bypass his warrior anyway.

Kalin started laughing again. He flipped the card around to show Yusei. "Yusei…I was worried I wouldn't even get to use this card." He smirked. "Thank you for allowing me to call my Earthbound Immortal to my hand."

Era whimpered as the pain began to increase as the summoning was going to begin shortly. "It's the Giant…" she muttered softly.

"Ccapac Apu…" Yusei muttered. Even though he had focused on destroying Kalin's One-Hundred Eyed Dragon, he had expected this in the back of his mind since the duel began.

He wouldn't give up now. His last mistake would not be repeated, he thought. Not just in the last duel, but the mistake he made that night when they took Kalin away.

Era stood quietly. She felt her mind going numb. "Don't lose, Yusei. Bury his Immortal for the sorrow and destruction it has sown…In you, in Kalin… In me," she said.

Kalin held the card for his Earthbound Immortal firmly in his hand with a musing expression. As Crow watched the duel with anxious anticipation, a thought occurred to him.

"This is just like the night Kalin was arrested," he thought allowed. "Even then, when he thought we had turned our backs on him. We were really trying to save him."

It grabbed Era's interest. She turned away for a moment, her attention still partially focused in the duel.

"Crow, what happened that night?" Luna asked.

Crow's eyes turned back to Kalin and Yusei. "If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then you're right. It was a misunderstanding," Era said.

Crow began to remember when he heard the news about Sector Security's hunt for Kalin. Rain was coming down in cascades, and Security vehicles were everywhere. He managed to get a hold of Jack and Yusei. The three of them split up to go find Kalin.

They found the old building where Security had surrounded the front entrance. The three of them crept in the back way and found Kalin in a room a couple of floors up.

"When Kalin saw we each had our Duel Disks with us…he initially thought we had decided to come together as Team Satisfaction one last time after all. But, that was far from the truth. We had come hoping to get him out of the mess he had made. As a gesture of protest, we put our Duel Disks down on the table set up in the middle of the room. Kalin questioned our actions, and Jack told him straight up that it was all over. Whether it was the four of us or Kalin alone, it was an impossible task to bring down security. Yusei told him that he should get out of there and try to escape while he still could. Kalin said running away now wouldn't satisfy anything in him. How could anyone in Satellite be satisfied under Sector Security? He was still trying to convince us that he was right and we should help him."

"But none of you were persuaded," Era concluded.

"No, and when he realized that, he wanted to argue about it. But, by then Sector Security was tired of waiting and decided to move in. Something exploded and the building shook. We heard the leader outside telling the officers to arrest Kalin. We all fled and wound up becoming separated. I later learned that Kalin had been cornered by a Security officer on a Duel Runner in a dead end ally. Yusei managed to find Kalin when he had the officer in a headlock on his Runner. The Runner crashed; the officer was fatally injured… Kalin was okay but he was covered in blood. When Jack and I got there, Yusei had managed to get a hold of Kalin and pin him down. But by then, he wouldn't listen to anyone anymore. All he wanted was to crush Sector Security, and he said he'd do it alone."

Crow looked up and saw Era wasn't listening very intently, though her focus was still partially on the duel. "Era?"

"And then, Sector Security find the four of you," she said softly.

"We hid in a nearby building… but yes, they found us eventually. Yusei left Kalin with me and Jack while he went outside to confront them. He was going to give himself up, telling them he was the leader of Team Satisfaction. He told them that he was the one who attacked Sector Security. He said the rest of us weren't involved and he told the officers to arrest him. But the leader of the group of officers had seen Kalin before and knew that it wasn't him, I found out. While Yusei was talking two officers had come and they took Kalin away from us. The leader said it was true that the leader of Team Satisfaction was the only one that they wanted and that it had nothing to do with the others. Yusei saw Kalin being retained by two officers as they escorted him to a prisoner vehicle. He tried to tell the commanding officer that it was the wrong person. The officer told him they had found the injured officer and there was no point in trying to lie. Attacking a member of Sector Security was a severe offense, he said. He was probably the only one who knew then that we wouldn't see Kalin again alive. He tried to show Yusei sympathy before being on his way. When Kalin looked around and saw him patting Yusei on the shoulder, I assume he took it to mean something else. He thought Yusei had sold him out to the officers and he was being thanked."

"So, you're telling us that this is all because of a HUGE misunderstanding?" Leo chimed, having heard everything.

"There's no other explanation. Yusei tried to tell him that back then, but Kalin was so messed up that he really believed that Yusei betrayed him," Crow said.

"He'll find his way, Crow. He'll come back to the person he used to be… eventually," Era comforted.

"How do you know that?" Crow asked.

Before Era could respond, Leo said, "Because Era's from a whole other world!"

Crow looked at Leo and turned back to his friend confused. "Another world? What like an alien or something?" he asked.

"Something like that. My home is on a different Earth. There are many differences and many similarities here compared to my home. I'm human just from a different Earth," Era said. "I'll explain the rest later but for now, we need to make sure Yusei stays on top."

Crow looked down at the duel. Kalin was smirking at Yusei as he drew his next card and began his turn.

"Kalin, I was trying to save you that night! I told them it was me and that they should arrest me!" Yusei said.

Crow then pushed on a button that turned on a special hidden microphone in his helmet.

Kalin looked back at Yusei with disgust. "I saw you! You did betray me! You sold me out!" Kalin yelled.

"No Kalin, it's the truth. Yusei tried to take your place," Crow spoke into the microphone.

Yusei's eyes widened. "Crow…"

Kalin's smirk disappeared; his expression turned serious. "If that's true, why didn't any of you stay and fight with me to the end?"

"We knew better, Kalin," Crow muttered.

Kalin looked away with his gaze fixated on the card in his hand, his Earthbound Immortal. Yusei sighed.

"Yusei, Crow? Do you know what happens to a person that resists Sector Security? If you don't, then let me tell you that sudden death would have been a more welcome option," Kalin said.

Crow's stomach turned. Suddenly, Yusei was beginning to understand Kalin a little bit better and why his wrath had become so ingrained.

"We tried to visit you several times but they never allowed us to see you. Eventually, we received a message saying you had died," Yusei said.

"It's not that simple," Kalin explained. "As you know, all who go into the Facility are marked. You should know, since both you and Crow have them. In prison, I was the favorite victim of violence by the guards. But, for a long time I simply endured their abuse. It was when my deck was taken from me that I lost my will to live. My deck was more important than my life to me… my deck was my soul and an extension of myself. Without it, I sat in a private cell and waited for death. Then, one day, I heard a voice calling to me saying, _'You who are about to give up your life, answer me a question! Is there any thought that keeps you here? If you have a death wish, become a Dark Signer and you're wish can be fulfilled!' _It was the voice of Roman Goodwin, the first of the Dark Signers. He sends out this message, and only the dying can hear it. I didn't know whether the voice was real, but I responded to it, saying there was someone I wished vengeance upon. Those were my last words before I woke up again. I was lying on my back in a shallow hole carved into the ground. That was when I saw Roman for the first time, and he offered me his hand and helped me up. As he did so, I saw a strange mark had appeared on my right arm, the mark of the giant." Kalin paused. "He told me that the Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu was willing to help me grant my wish and that I had been reborn as a Dark Signer, I became a Dark Signer so I could make you pay. I will use the power of my Earthbound Immortal to instill in you a terror like nothing you've ever experienced!"

"Roman…" Yusei took a deep breath. "I'm still standing by the truth. I did what I said no matter what you may believe. But, I have one question."

Kalin chuckled. "What's that, Yusei?"

"Why did you take out your anger on Era? I want to know the truth," Yusei questioned him heatedly.

Kalin smiled sardonically. "Do you really want to know, Yusei? Does it matter to you that much?"

Yusei frowned. "I think it might to Era… But yes, it matters to me. It matters because you were my friend… and the Kalin I knew didn't hurt anyone who didn't even have a Duel Disk to fight with. Even when you were falling off the edge, you didn't go after someone who you KNEW wasn't a threat to YOU in any way…" Yusei said. "Era didn't know how to duel until we battled Roman."

"After my associates brought her to us and imprisoned her, Roman said that the Celestial Signer wouldn't just come quietly and said we needed to make her on our said. Do what we wanted her to do and tell us about the past and the future. He said her spirit needed to be broken, and he turned to me when we couldn't break it together."

Yusei's eyes widened. Could Roman somehow have persuaded Kalin to do this? Why would it matter? He could have said no. Or could he?

"I asked why he wanted me to do it and why he would just do whatever it was himself," Kalin said. Yusei winced. "He said to think of it as returning the favor for extending the invitation to me to become a Dark Signer."

Kalin went forward with his turn. "I'm going to release my Infernity Demon and Infernity Necromancer as offerings to summon my Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu!"

A rocky heart-shaped object appeared in the sky and absorbed the two monsters. It beat slowly, emitting an eerie light. "I wasn't sure how to carry out the task that I had been asked… to break her spirit… until my Earthbound Immortal guided my actions… and I was filled with desire… a desire to make someone else feel as much misery and despair as I had once had …"

A dark hole formed underneath the object, and the massive arm of the Earthbound Immortal stretched forth from it. It pulled itself out onto the ground. The blue, intricate lines running across its body emitted a nauseating glow. The giant turned in Yusei's direction.

"After that, I realize that's how I wanted to make YOU feel, Yusei. With my Earthbound Immortal, I will fill you with the terror and anguish that consumed me …from the moment I knew you betrayed me until my last pitiful moment in my cell at the Facility!"

"Kalin…" Yusei began.

"Earthbound Immortal! Strike him down with a direct attack!" Kalin exclaimed.

Yusei could feel the same fear from when he faced the Earthbound Immortal before. But, if this was connected to the terror Kalin felt, then he couldn't run away. He wouldn't. He would bury the Immortal and face that fear.

"I'm activating a trap known as God of War's Baton! So, this turn I can select the attack targets of your monsters," Yusei said. Yusei's Junk Warrior flew at the Immortal with all its might. "Your attack target is now my Junk Warrior!"

Junk Warrior was crushed by the giant's enormous palm; bits of debris scattered flew past Yusei, stinging him when they struck him. The attack reduced him to 2400 points.

"Ha! Yusei, you might have prevented a direct attack, but my Immortal has a secondary effect. When it destroys a monster, you take damage equal to that monster's current attack points. And if I'm correct, that's 2500 points of damage!"

"Yusei!" Leo yelped. Luna held his hand to try and comfort him.

"That will wipe him out…" Trudge muttered.

"Wait! Doesn't he have another card to play?" Crow asked aloud. Era nodded. "One of his cards can save him! I'm sure of it!"

"I'll counter that with my trap, Burst Synchro Summon! Now, all your damage is reduced to zero…and…I can now summon a Synchro monster with an attack equal to the damage that would have been dealt to me, ignoring the normal summoning conditions!"

The Earthbound Immortal withdrew its hand as a burst of light shot up from the ground. Out of the burst came Stardust Dragon, its wings sparkling and its eyes aglow. It looked up at the Immortal and roared fearlessly at the massive giant.

"It looks like Yusei is making it!" Crow sighed with relief. Leo and Luna cheered for Yusei. Era nodded.

"I think that boy was planning to summon that card from the beginning," Trudge said. He noticed Era was only nodding and was barely talking. "You okay, Era?"

"Huh? Yes, I'm fine! I'm just worried… even Stardust Dragon can't touch Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu… Unless…No, it can't be…" Era stuttered.

Crow raised an eyebrow. "Ok, what is it? What are you not telling us?" he asked her.

"Back at home there was one known dragon that took down his Immortal," Era said.

"What is it?" Luna asked.

"The dragon is the reincarnation of the Crimson Dragon. It begins with a tuner monster known as Majestic Dragon and when it is tuned with a Signer dragon like Stardust Dragon, something happens. There are only two known. One for Jack's Red Dragon Archfiend, one for Yusei's Stardust Dragon. Jack's is upgraded to Majestic Red Dragon and Yusei's creates the Majestic Star Dragon. Both are mighty beings," Era explained.

Luna gasped shocked by the information. "Where did you learn this information again?" Crow asked shocked.

"I've…never heard of a monster called Majestic Dragon," Trudge asked.

"That's because the only time it can be used is when all the Signers are one," Era explained.

Crow took a look back at the duel. Kalin finished his turn with no cards in his hand again. It was Yusei's turn again. As soon as Yusei drew his next card, Kalin activated another trap, one he announced to be Glowing Image of the Guardian God.

"Now, Yusei, with this card on the field, the only thing you can attack is my Earthbound Immortal. Think of it as a precautionary measures against any kind of dirty trick you might pull on me… like trying to bypass my monster for a direct attack!" Kalin said.

"Well then, it looks like I'll have to put my trust in my deck. I'll activate the Speed Spell, Angel Baton. When I have two speed counters or more on my field, I can discard a card from my hand so I can draw two cards from my deck."

He quickly discarded a card and drew his two cards. "Next, I will activate the effect of the card I just discarded, which was Stardust Xiaolong! When I have a Stardust Dragon on my field, I can special summon it from the Graveyard!" (Stardust Xiaolong is a level one Light attributed Dragon type monster with 100 attack and defense points.) A long, sinuous teal dragon appeared alongside of Stardust Dragon. Its long mane resembled that of a lion and its whisker were longer than its body. Yusei had no choice but to end his turn with a face down.

Kalin drew his card to begin his turn. As Kalin thought about his next move, Yusei took the opportunity to activate a trap card.

His Stardust Dragon became cloaked in a heavenly white light. "I'm activating the effect of Isolated Protector! If you battle any of my other monsters, all the battle damage will be negated. But, if you try to destroy my Stardust Dragon, I can sacrifice Isolated Protector in its place."

"Is that so? Well, that won't stop me from attack Stardust Dragon anyway!" The Earthbound Immortal batted the Dragon off to the side, creating a great whirlwind. Yusei sent Isolated Protector to the Graveyard to protect his dragon. But, Kalin had his own trap to play. "I think I'll activate Demonic Devastation, which doubles any battle damage you take save for a direct attack."

Yusei was hit with 1000 points of damage, leaving him with only 1400 left. He muffled a scream from the pain as he felt the ground shaking under his Runner.

Suddenly, the force of the impact caused Kalin to lose control over his Runner. It almost fell sideways, just inches away from the wall of violet flames.

"Kalin!" Yusei rode in closer. He outstretched his hand to him. "Kalin! Grab my hand!"

Kalin's eyes widened in surprise. His voice became hesitant. "You… Yusei? I don't understand… Are you trying to save me? Like the time I saved your life… when we were still a team?"

Yusei smiled. "Kalin… you were wrong. I was willing to hand myself in for you… to face security alone. But, I think I was wrong, too. A person shouldn't always have to stand alone. In the darkest moments, they should always have their friends by their side… As a light to guide one another…"

Suddenly, Era was surprised to feel her mark pulse on her body. Luna gasped. "My marks gone!"

"After all that…Yusei wants to save his friend…and now Kalin understands that…But Yusei needs the help of his friends, too," Era said.

"What does that mean?" Crow asked.

"For a second, I could feel what Yusei was feeling… and I could sense… all the others Signers could feel it, too. We all wanted to help," Era said vaguely.

Crow turned his head. Leo was staring at Luna's arm.

"Your mark is gone… Maybe that happened to Jack and Akiza…" Leo said.

"Our wills have become one… and that is what will bring Majestic Dragon to help in this fight…" Era informed.

The full body of the Crimson Dragon appeared like a glowing circle on Yusei's back. Yusei was beginning to understand.

"This really isn't about fighting you… It's about saving you and the other Dark Signers from the Earthbound Immortals!"

Crow sighed. "I want him to save Kalin, too. It should never have been the way it was… but maybe now things can be made right."

"Why are you saying this now, Yusei?" Kalin was still inclined to disbelief. His Runner dipped deeper and his helmet was barely touching the wall.

"Because you're my friend, Kalin! You always were!" Yusei exclaimed.

Yusei saw that the top card of his deck was shining. Kalin saw the card and closed his eyes. "Draw your card," he said.

"Kalin…" Yusei said.

"Just do it, okay? If you're really so bent on helping me, then draw that card…" Kalin said.

Yusei pulled the card from his deck. "This card is… Majestic Dragon!"

Yusei immediately played it. An otherworldly rose colored dragon appeared on the field by Stardust Dragon. It had no eyes, and the golden orbs on its wings emitted a blinding bright light. It made a soft noise as Stardust Dragon sailed above it, with Yusei's other dragon just behind. (Majestic Dragon is a level one Light attributed Dragon type Tuner Monster with 0 attack points and 0 defense points.)

"I will now tune Majestic Dragon, Stardust Dragon, and Stardust Xiaolong to Synchro Summon a monster created from our combined power…"

Majestic Dragon enveloped the other two dragons and transformed into a shapeless mass of light. The light faded and slowly revealed a beautiful ivory dragon. It appeared much like Stardust Dragon, but it had no arms or legs, and four massive wings with blue orbs at the end of each one. Its long tail lashed out like a streak of sunlight.

"This is the miracle of clustering minds! Descend, Majestic Star Dragon!" Yusei exclaimed. (Majestic Star Dragon is a level ten Wind attributed Dragon type Synchro monster with 3800 attack and 3000 defense points.)

"That thing's amazing! It's like an angel or something!" Crow exclaimed.

"My dragon has the ability to negate the effect of one of your cards and acquires it until the end of the turn. I will negate the effect of Ccapac Apu and Majestic Star Dragon will destroy it with its own power!"

The blue light began dimming as it was being drained away from the Immortal and absorbed by Majestic Star Dragon. The immortal shivered and writhed.

As Yusei tried to reach for Kalin once more, he declared his final attack. "Majestic Star Dragon, attack Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu and end this!"

Yusei was barely able to grasp Kalin's hand. As he pulled Kalin from his Runner, Majestic Star Dragon pierced the Earthbound Immortal like the blade of a sword. It went right through it, soaring into the sky as Ccapac Apu feel to the ground, disappearing in an explosion of blue energy.

Everyone was blinded for a moment or two. Other than Era. The light didn't bother Era to her disbelief.

"Yusei!" Era started running down the hill.

When the light cleared, Majestic Star Dragon was hovering above Yusei. Kalin lay in his arms, the black had disappeared from the whites of his eyes and the mark of the giant had vanished from his arm. He was bruised in several places.

"Yusei…" Kalin's voice was slightly hollow and ragged.

"Kalin… I drove you to this," Yusei said.

"No, Yusei. Listen… I couldn't stay mad at you… I wished to have the last duel of Team Satisfaction… at least that wish has come true… Even if my anger is what got me here… if I didn't let it consume me… I would have let it go… It has brought nothing but suffering for me…" Kalin said. Kalin's body slowly started to disintegrate.

"Kalin!" Yusei exclaimed.

"I guess I can't be satisfied at all…at least not like this," he said. He saw Era coming out of the corner of his eye. "I'm sorry for what I did. I hurt my friends, and I have left a scar on someone's life… Can you forgive me?"

"I have never held it against you. I knew you weren't yourself and what would happen at this end," Era said.

He gave a slight, thankful grin. At that moment, his body was dust in the wind. His Duel Runner was gone as well. The fire dispersed. "Kalin…" Era muttered in unison with Yusei.

Yusei stood up. Majestic Star Dragon flew up into the air over Satellite, and all the others could see its body fade into the darkness. Luna was surprised to see her mark return to her arm. Leo breathed a heavy sigh. Trudge sat quietly in the car, saying nothing.

Yusei's shoulders began shaking. "Kalin… you are still my friend… and I forgive you too. I…" Tears trickled down his face. "I promise we will save you and the others from this nightmare of the Earthbound Immortals, Kalin…"

Era stopped, seeing the last of Majestic Star Dragon's light dim and fall away from the sky. "Kalin!" Yusei cried in a soft voice. He remembered at that moment that he had also cried the night Kalin was taken away.

Era walked up and placed comforting hands on both his shoulders. Though she stood strong and comforting, she was struggling to keep the tears in her eyes. She wished it didn't have to come to this. _'It wasn't his fault,'_ she thought. _'It was the Earthbound Immortals fault.'_

"Yusei…" she called. "It wasn't your fault. And it wasn't Kalin's either. It was the Earthbound Immortals. They used him and his anger. We'll stop them Yusei… together."

He wiped his tears away. _'She's right. I need to stop sulking and fulfill my promise to Greiger and Kalin. And I intend to do so,'_ Yusei thought. He turned to Era. "Thanks Era. You're right," he said.

"I only spoke the truth, Yusei. The truth is right and I only put it into words," she responded.

"Let's go," Yusei said. They were about to leave when Trudge tensed. "What's wrong, Trudge?"

"He's about to give you an invitation," Era said.

"Invitation? To what? How?" Yusei said. She pointed to the mark of the spider on his arm.

"So, I see the Celestial Signer really knows everything to expect. So she must know this is coming as well. Yusei Fudo, I think it's time we finish this. Don't you?" Roman said through Trudge.

"Roman," Yusei growled.

"We that unfinished business. Come to the old reactor and be ready to battle," Roman said. "I will see you there."

A spider jumped off Trudge's neck and Trudge looked at everyone. "Why is everyone looking at me?" he asked.

"He's normal again. One of Roman's spiders must've attached itself to Trudge and used Trudge as a messenger for Roman," Era said.

"Wait, what?!" Trudge exclaimed.

"We need to get going now," Era said ignoring Trudge.

"Then let's go," Yusei agreed.

Trudge still had a slightly confused expression but went to the car nonetheless. They immediately took off from there.

As they rode off, one this still bothered Era. _'If they saw the duels, why haven't they changed the plot and what they were supposed to do? Why was it all as it was supposed to be? Why hasn't it changed like I would've expected it to be?'_ Era thought. _'Whatever's going on here, it can't be good. And I've got to figure out what that is.'_


	27. Leaving It Up To Destiny

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut- Important for this chapter!**

**Chapter 25**

**Leaving It Up To Destiny**

As they drove through the destroyed, winding streets Yusei was thinking about their battle with Roman and what he said about Era.

**~Flashback~**

"_Are you playing the silent treatment, dear Era? Oh, but you know enough to know everything about me and my brother. And what happened between me and his father," Roman said. Yusei looked at her with shock. Era stared silent and eyed Roman. Roman narrowed his eyes. He pulled a card from his hand._

_"I'm sure there are many things you've kept from Yusei and the Signers. Right, Celestial Signer? Is it because you think it will change the future you think will happen? Or because you want to hide it for their sakes?" Roman taunted. Era glared at him. He looked at his card._

**~Flashback Ended~**

"Era, what was Roman talking about when we battled him?" he asked turning to her.

"Uh, uh," Era stuttered.

"What do you know about Roman and Goodwin? And him and my dad?" Yusei asked.

"A lot," she said regret was clear in her voice. "I've wanted to explain everything to you. I've wanted to tell you everything I know. But I'm scared that if I do, everything that should happen won't. I know what happened to your dad and Roman. I know everything."

"What happens if they don't go by what your world knows?" Yusei asked.

"I'm not sure. But I don't want to find out. If it did happen, and everything goes wrong, there's no telling what could happen here. This world is already more darker than the show," Era explained. Then she said, more to herself, "Sometimes I wish I hadn't come here. If I didn't, maybe none of these problems would happen. I wouldn't have to keep secrets from anyone. Why am I even here?" She looked at her mark. _'What makes me so different?'_ she thought.

"You're here because we need you. I need you. If it weren't for you, we would all be lost at times," Yusei said.

"But nothing has changed from the way I know it. I could've not been here and it would've all been the same," Era retorted. "If that's what happened, why am I meant to be here?"

"Because we need you, Era. I've already said that but you need to hear it," Yusei said.

"But…" Era started but she could feel the sincerity in his words.

"Era, I need you," he said. She looked at him.

She took a deep breath. "And… I need you," she finally said.

"Then let's face this together," Yusei encouraged.

"O-Okay," Era agreed.

Yusei nodded. They noticed they were closing in on the reactor. "You ready?" Era asked. Yusei nodded. "Good, because you need to be ready."

"Hey, look!" Luna pointed out a crater-sized hole as they closed in on the base of the Dark Signers.

"This is where the old reactor…Zero Reverse…this is where it all started," Trudge noted solemnly.

Suddenly, Luna started shaking. Leo grabbed his sister's hand and she stopped. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"There's something terrifying in there…" she replied.

Leo stared into the blackness of the hole with determination. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, okay?" he declared.

Luna nodded quietly. But, the overwhelming power of negative energy was still enough to leave her with an unshakable fear looming inside of her. Perhaps this was the pure power of the Netherworld, of Momentum.

The sky was still overcast with black clouds and an occasional flash of lightening followed by a clap of thunder. The wind had died down to the point that the air was stale with the negative energy brimming like sonic waves. Era could feel it too, and it shot through her, causing an agonizing pulse inside of her.

When they came close enough, everyone prepared to climb down the winding staircase leading down into the darkness.

Luna gazed into. "It really is like a meteor crater…" she said.

The others were also amazed by its size. But Yusei had more on his mind. "We need to move on," he reminded them.

He started his way down followed by the others came.

However, Crow saw something nearby that caught his attention. Era saw him and let it be. This part was for him. _'Be careful, Crow,'_ she thought. _'And good luck.' _She soon went down to catch up with the group.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group made it down the stairs to a suspended bridge, linking one side of the dark chasm to the other. Era quickly came by Yusei's side. Beneath them was a massive machine, emitting swirling, multicolored lights. The Signers could feel the negative energy even more.

"It's Momentum," Yusei muttered. Era nodded in confirmation.

A husky voice cut through the air like a nice from the other side. "Thank you for coming, Yusei."

He looked up, and saw Roman standing halfway across the bridge. Yusei made his way onto it, and when the other tried to follow him, he held out his hand to prevent them from getting closer. He couldn't risk endangering them. Everyone had to remain away from him.

"So, am I to understand that you finally sent your ex-friend to the Netherworld?" he asked. Yusei growled. "I cannot say what will happen if _I_ am defeated… that will be up to fate."

"And will fate decide if you will ever say the truth?" Era asked.

"I see your point, Celestial Signer. However, what I saw is a promise and I intend to keep it. Just as I kept my promise to settle things with Jason Fudo… even if it had to be through his son…" Roman said.

Yusei felt stunned when his father's name was mentioned. "So… where were we, Yusei? Discussing Kalin's sentence?"

"It's different than what you think. There was no reason for the hate that existed between myself and him. The Immortals took advantage of our misunderstanding and used it to drive Kalin to innocent people and his friends," Yusei said.

Roman chuckled. "There is no misunderstanding. It was destiny that Kalin became the murderous spawn of the Earthbound Immortals. The two of you were fated to hate each other and risk your lives from the beginning. Scattered were the fireworks of hatred and sorrow… they turned Momentum just as my rancor with your father did."

Roman pulled a trigger in his mechanical arm and the light of Momentum surged upward forming intertwining lines like a Spider's Web.

"Can you see it, Yusei? This is the door of new possibility your father and I discovered seventeen years ago! Beyond it is the power to change the world!" Roman exclaimed.

"But… is it really worth the sacrifice?" Yusei questioned, remembering Rally and Martha were absorbed by his Earthbound Immortal. Roman scoffed. "There is no way I can let you go from what you have done. These people… I am not satisfied by this!"

"In front of destiny… people vanish like garbage. Look at this light… it is destiny itself… it lives by consuming the destiny of all… including myself and your father," Roman retorted.

"You're insane, Roman! I won't let you do as you wish!" Yusei angrily replied.

"Very well…I will bury you in this light just as your father was buried," he said.

Each of them activated their Duel Disks. The marks on their arms were revealed and the geoglyph of the spider encircled the chasm.

"I will take the first turn." Roman drew his card. He thought for a moment. "I set one card down and end my turn."

"Is Roman underestimating Yusei?" Trudge asked, puzzled. Luna shook her head.

"He'd better not or he'll be toast in a matter of turns," Leo smiled.

"If anything, it's bait for Yusei," Era said with a look of worry.

Yusei called for his turn and drew his card. Indeed, the card Roman had could be a trap. But, he felt there was no choice but to go on the offensive.

"I first send the Level Eater in my hand to the graveyard, so I can Special Summon Quickdraw Synchron from my hand!" he declared. (Quick Synchron is a level five Wind attributed Warrior type monster with 700 attack and 1400 defense points.) The warrior was clad in a blue swashbuckler's outfit, with a tattered red cape and a cowboy hat. All that could be seen of its dark face was its blue eye staring from underneath the hat.

"Next, I activate the effect of Level Eater in my graveyard. I can Special Summon it by reducing the level of my Quickdraw Synchron by one!" he continued. His current monster became level four. A red, oversized ladybug took to the field, with the emblem of a gold star on its back. (Level Eater is a level one monster with 600 attack and 0 defense points.) "Now, I can treat my Quickdraw Synchron as any other Synchron monster for the purpose of a Synchro Summon. I tune it with my Level Eater to summon Junk Warrior!" A green light consumed them both and revealed the mechanical blue soldier, its scarf billowing in the wind. "Clustering stars will create a new force! Become the path its light shines upon!"

Yusei then declared a direct attack upon Roman. Junk Warrior slams Roman with its metallic fist, scraping away more than half of his life points. Only 1700 were remaining.

Everyone was excited that Yusei made a direct attack, but not for long. Era wasn't too excited though. She knew what's next.

Roman revealed his trap card. "This is 'Truth of Nonresistance'! When I am attacked directly, I can special summon a level one monster from my hand and another with the same name from my deck!" At that moment, two large green spiders appeared, glaring at Yusei. Yusei remembered them as the monster known as Dark Spider, from his last duel with Roman. (Dark Spider is a level one Insect type monster with 0 attack points and 0 defense points.)

Both were in attack position. However, Yusei had no other monsters during the battle phase of his turn so he couldn't attack again. He set down a card, and that was the end of his turn.

"Are you kidding me? Those monsters have no power!" Leo declared.

Luna poked him on the shoulder. "It's not that simple. Don't you remember any of the other duels? He needs to sacrifice two monsters so he can summon his Earthbound Immortal!" Luna said.

"Wait…" Leo thought. "He's already got two monsters!"

"Right. So, we all need to stay close when he summons it, okay?" she said.

Her Signer birthmark began to glow. Everyone gathered together, preparing for the worst.

Roman drew his card. "Now, for the final piece! I activate Spider Web!" The glowing from Momentum intensified as several more webs graced the walls of the chasm. A web encircled the top of the chasm and the way out. "There's no escape, Yusei! I release my two spiders." The spiders vanished and light energy began swirling around. "Souls of the dead, trapped in my light of destiny! Grant me the power to bring the dark truth to this world!" The titanic-sized Spider materialized, clinging upside-down to the web overhanging the group. The red lines crossing it were shining sickly. Its eyes fixated upon Yusei, its prey. "My Earthbound Immortal Uru comes to the field in attack position!"

Leo, Luna, Trudge, and Era were protected by the light of the Crimson Dragon. For a brief moment, they saw the stone heart beating in the air, souls circling around it, before it vanished. "Now, for a direct attack! Consume Yusei with threads of despair!"

However Yusei saved himself with a Trap. "I activate Synchro Barrier. By releasing my Junk Warrior, I can negate any damage I take this turn."

The threads went past him and fell into Momentum's light. Roman obviously wasn't surprised. "You may have escaped the attack… but you've found yourself in a more dire dilemma." He set down two face down cards.

"I activate the continuous spell! Destiny Trigger!" A fiendish hand appeared in front of him, holding a bone with a red button. As part of the effect, Roman was forced to send the top card of his deck to the graveyard. He revealed that is was Spider Cocoon, a monster card.

"Now, when you draw your next card, you must reveal it to me. If it is also a monster card, your life points will but cut in half. And this will happen in all of your turns after that," Roman informed. He then smirked. "I end my turn. Draw your next card, Yusei. It will determine your destiny," Roman said.

Yusei drew his card, and sighed with relief. He revealed it to Roman. It was a Trap Cards. He had avoided Destiny Trigger, for now.

"I start my summoning my Speed Warrior to the field in attack position!" Speed Warrior emerged, its attack power at 1800 this turn due to its effect.

"Your monster can't be targeted by an attack, in a sense making it an illusionary monster. Now, I can go for a direct attack, and you don't have enough life points to survive it," Yusei declared.

"If Yusei can make this work, he'll win!" Trudge laughed. Era crossed her arms. _'It won't be that easy,'_ she thought. _'It can't be.'_

So Yusei declared his attack, but Roman was ready for him. "Now, Yusei… I activate my permanent trap… Roar of the Bound Gods! As long as Uru is on the field and has more power than you, I can negate your attack, destroy your monster, and deal half if its current attack points to you as damage!"

The Earthbound Immortal let out a shattering cry. Sped Warrior broke into pieces. One of them struck Yusei, and his life points went down to 3100 after taking 900 points of damage. Yusei, still standing, set down a facedown, and had to end his turn.

Roman called for his turn and drew his card. "I am hoping to see how you plan to negate my attack." He then declared an attack with his Earthbound Immortal. "Unleash the wrath of the Netherworld!"

Yusei then activated his card. "With the effect of Spirit Force, I can reduce all battle damage to 0 and add a Warrior Tuner with 1500 defense points or less from my graveyard to my hand!"

Roman laughed. "So I anticipated. I counter with the effect of Ground Wave!" he said. He revealed his second trap. A shock wave emitted from the card and destroyed Yusei's only defense. "When I have a Field Spell in play, I can use this card to negate one Spell or Trap Card and destroy it," he informed.

The thread tore at Yusei, cutting into his clothes. He was knocked over, falling on his stomach. Drops of blood fell onto the bridge. The damage was a catastrophic 3000 points, leaving him with a spare 100 life points.

"Yusei!" Era cried, wanting to rush over to help him. But she held herself back. Leo and Luna called out to him.

"You'll see your father trapped in Momentum very soon," Roman sneered. Yusei struggled to get back up, all the while his gazed fixed on Roman, who was bent on killing him.

Crow found himself in a hallway scattered with debris and broken glass. He looked around but was careful of any of the broken glass and where he stepped. He noticed something and ran to it. "An open door?" he thought aloud. He carefully opened it and was shocked when he saw someone inside. "Hey… aren't you…?"

Goodwin was sitting amidst broken glass by a small, tattered wooden desk. He kept his mechanical arm as out of sight as he could manage. The director appeared almost expressionless.

Goodwin said nothing, but averted his gaze. "Who are you?" Goodwin asked.

"I'm a friend of Yusei's," Crow explained. "Why are you here?"

Goodwin let out a soft, but hollow laugh. "I'm here to say 'Goodbye' to my older brother," he answered.

They remembered that Roman had told them that he and Rex were related.

In Goodwin's other hand, he held a picture in a frame, one of himself and his brother as assistants to Yusei's father. Crow noticed among the glass another frame, this one a picture of Professor Fudo and what appeared to be his wife… and child. "It's a picture of Yusei as a baby," Crow thought aloud, carefully picking it up. "That picture was taken not long before Zero Reverse," Crow concluded.

"Yes, and so was the one I hold," replied Goodwin. Goodwin looked on with apathy.

Yusei struggled to get to his feet. Blood was slowly streaming down his face. Roman smirked. "You look just like your father, bleeding like that."

"You…" Yusei was in pain and couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence.

"Yusei…" It agonized Era that she had to stay there, forced to watch Yusei suffer.

"So, are you going to begin your turn?" Roman interrupted. Now that he felt Yusei was at a dead end and his was going to finish him off, he was impatient to put this to an end.

Yusei carefully drew his card. This would be the last turn of Destiny Trigger's card effect. He revealed his card to Roman.

"A Monster Card…It seems Fate does not see you so kindly," Roman said.

As the Destiny Trigger exploded, Yusei's life points were cut in half, only a meager 50 points left. Roman still had 1700 points.

"Yusei is almost out of points…" Leo said worried. His words expressed the concerns of everyone watching the duel. Era inhaled deeply. This was so hard to watch in real life, but it was so hard to look away.

Yusei kept his footing although he was shaking. "Please don't give up…Whatever you do, Yusei," Era said.

Then, Yusei turned so that she couldn't see the bloody side of his face. "I still have life points."

"That's right! Keep going!" Luna urged him.

"I summon Zero Gardna in defense mode!" Yusei declared. A blue, robotic creature appeared on the field, hovering above the bridge. It carried a massive steel oval around its neck and looked on at Earthbound Immortal Uru bravely. (Zero Gardna is a level four Earth attributed Warrior type monster with no attack or defense points.)

Yusei set one facedown card and declared the end of his turn.

"You still have the will to fight… you have your father's persistence," Roman was actually surprised, considering the rough shape that Yusei was now in, "I never would have guessed that the Signer I would face would be Professor Fudo's son seventeen years ago. It truly must be the will of destiny."

"I don't believe you," Yusei argued.

"You are running out of life, and your soul will vanish into Momentum soon… However, I find you have earned the right to know the truth about your father and the true cause of Zero Reverse," Roman said. "Since the Celestial Signer won't seem to tell you herself."

Yusei said nothing. "Seventeen years ago, Jason Fudo was considered if not THE leader than among the leaders in quantum physics. He discovered Planetary Particles… also known as Yusei Ryuushi."

"Planetary Particles?" Luna wondered aloud.

"What are those?" Leo was confused.

"They are like the planetary gears that connects particles to one another. He named his son after his discovery. He did not live to see how befitting the name was. He hoped, like the particles, that Yusei would connect people together…" Roman said.

Era mentally paused a moment. Yusei was someone who brought people together. He was able to befriend the most unlikely people, even those who had initially wished him harm. It was Yusei who was there when Era first discovered her connection to the Crimson Dragon. He brought people together….

"Planetary Particles were essential to creating Momentum, which Jason envisioned as a revolutionary non-polluting energy system," Roman continued.

"But it didn't turn out that way," Era concluded.

Roman glanced at her sideways. "Until the day everything changed, we all had every reason to believe Momentum would change the world for the better. Jason spoke of it and the possible world it would bring like a boy lost in a fantastical daydream. My brother Rex and I were also scientists. We greatly admired his work and were his assistants at the time." He paused a moment. "It started one time, when the three of us were doing research. My brother and I were nearby checking the data. Suddenly, Momentum began to emit a strange noise. We were all surprised by what was going on. The figures on the energy gauze screen were unusual…they were moving up rather quickly. It was later discovered that during every experiment, the city had experienced abnormal weather patterns. I was shocked when Professor Fudo decided to stop the experiment. He explained it couldn't be helped. None of us were sure what caused the strange weather, but he was convinced there was a connection to Momentum."

"Strange weather patterns?" Luna thought aloud.

Trudge scratched his head. "I remember back then there was weird weather…but I guess nobody thought it was related."

. . .

In the meantime, Goodwin was explaining to Crow. "I asked Professor Fudo about our ongoing research. He understood my point, but as long as safety was not a guarantee, we couldn't endanger the people in New Domino City. I could see my brother's uneasiness, but he said nothing to me at the time. Roman later found out that an area in Peru was experiencing weather disasters at the same as the experiments, but at a greater magnitude than New Domino City. Roman flew there to investigate and went to the area where the Nazca Lines were," said Goodwin. "He had heard the legend of the gods who's ongoing battle unfolded every five thousand years. According to that legend, the Nazca Lines were the wicked gods… sealed away beneath the earth by the benevolent dragon god of the sky… It was said they would later awaken to challenge their old enemy for supremacy of the world."

"If someone had told me that before all this started, I would've called them crazy," Crow said.

"When my brother was there, he met a man from a group called Yliaster," Goodwin continued ignoring the comment.

. . .

"This man approached me while I was examining debris surrounding the geoglyph of the spider. He called me Dr. Roman and expressed disappointment in the halt to research on Momentum. I didn't trust him and asked how he knew," Roman continued to explain to Yusei and the others. Era stayed silent. "He wouldn't say who he was but said he understood that I would like to continue the research. He said it could be continued and Professor Fudo could be fired. At the time, I thought it was impossible. He said there was possibly beyond the light of Momentum that was unimaginable. He asked whether I wanted to see it, but I said nothing. He said his group thought of me as a genius who would write a new page in history, especially since I was already a chosen one. I had no idea what he meant." He raised up his mechanical arm. "When I had my real arm…it bore that mark of the Crimson Dragon's Head. I explained to the man that I had this mark from birth, and he told me I was chosen by destiny. I could not run from it." Yusei stared blankly at Roman's mechanical left arm. He had his doubts, but continued to listen. "As he was about to leave, I stopped him and asked if all of this was related to the legend. He laughed and said to look with my own eyes. It was the will of Momentum's light. And then… he disappeared. I returned to the research center and saw Momentum had begun to spin in reverse. Negative Energy poured from the machine and I became infused with it. But then…only then did I see that possibility. I saw Momentum's role to resurrect the ancient Immortals."

. . .

"My brother had been a genius from a young age…I was quite proud of him actually. But, he carried an unbelievable destiny on his shoulders," Goodwin said.

"He was the one who made Zero Reverse happen," Crow concluded.

"Yes. Professor Fudo insisted that research on Momentum had to be stopped no matter what. An authority from New Domino and several underlings wished to capture him. He was cornered, and they told him he no longer had the authority to make that decision. He was already fired. Many people had invested in Momentum, and a successor had been chosen to continue the research… it was my brother, Roman. He said Jason didn't have the courage to see the truth. Jason by that time had already built the controls and said Momentum wouldn't work without the seals. Roman already had them… four Synchro monsters. However, Professor swiped the cards from Roman and fled. The guards fired and he was shot, causing him to drop one of the seals. But, he managed to get away, although he was injured and bleeding."

"Those seals were the dragon cards, weren't they?" Crow asked, remembering how the towers had been sealed so far by Luna and Yusei's cards.

"Yes. I found Professor Fudo and he gave the remaining seals to me and told me to stop Momentum. The cards he had were Black Rose Dragon, Red Dragon Archfiend, and Stardust Dragon… the one left behind was Ancient Fairy Dragon. Appropriate to the legend. I think," Goodwin went on.

"So, what happened next? I assume Professor Fudo got his son to safety," Crow said.

"Correct. While he went to rescue his son, I went to look for my brother. I thought perhaps I could talk him out of it. But I was wrong. When I got to the control room, Roman threw me a glass capsule containing the arm that bore the Crimson Dragon's birthmark. I saw the blood and I felt sick. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and asked what happened. He didn't explain but said that now that the negative energy of Momentum was flowing into the world, the Signers would soon appear. It didn't matter how long it took. He told me to gather them so they could defeat him. I asked him what he meant but he yelled at me to just do as he said. He then explained that he had two gods inside of him…and he wasn't strong enough to resist…and that he had chosen the path of the wicked god. I didn't want to just leave my brother, but he fired at me and left me no other choice. I believe it was the last moment he was able to control himself. And then… in that explosion… many lives were lost. Professor Fudo managed to get his son to an escape vessel in time but his own life was taken. The city and the Satellite were separated. I lost my brother and he was reborn as a Dark Signer."

"Not even the legendary man could stop the separation between the city and the Satellite… The one who jumped the Daedalus Bridge. I have never forgotten that dream… I want to reunite them as well," Crow said.

Goodwin sighed. "So you know that legend?"

"Yes," Crow replied, "My parents… Jack's parents… Yusei's parents…they were all lost. But, that legend was a part of what gave me hope, I didn't know the guy…but I believe in his dream."

"If you see Yusei, tell him I am waiting for him should he defeat my brother," Goodwin instructed.

Goodwin went into a nearby room and locked the door behind him. Crow ran at the door and slammed on it. "What do you mean? What's going on, here?" he called.

There was no reply. Inside, Goodwin thought to himself. He understood that Yusei also wanted to reunite the city.

Crow ran out of the room. The noticed a strange purple light and decided to follow it, hoping it would lead them to the others.

. . .

"So that's it, then? You're trying to play God?" Yusei wasn't sure if he believed what Roman had just told him, "How many lives will you throw away before your satisfied?"

"By the time I was aware of my destiny, it was too late. I had chosen a heart of darkness, not having the will to resist… The world will be reborn soon…and that is the final answer to all of your questions," Roman answered.

Roman then called for his turn. He immediately declared an attack with his Earthbound Immortal. But, Zero Gardna burst and the threads were pushed back.

"By releasing my Gardna, all damage I take this turn becomes Zero," Yusei explained.

"I see, you are still fighting," Roman retorted. He finished his turn with a face down card. Everyone was worried now, but they had no option but to believe, or risk the thought of despair.

_'Yusei, don't give up. I know you can do this,'_ Era thought.

Yusei began his turn. All he did was set two of his own facedown cards, giving him three cards to defend himself. He worried about how Roman would play his next turn. Playing defense was his best shot.

Roman took his turn, smirking. "I activate Earthbound Whirlwind! When I have an Earthbound Immortal on the field, I can destroy all spell and trap cards! Your last hope is crushed."

Yusei revealed one of his cards. "I was hoping you'd play a card like that! I activate Starlight Road. When you try to destroy two or more cards of mine, I can negate that effect and special summon Stardust Dragon without following usual summoning conditions." In a flurry of stardust, Yusei's mighty dragon appeared, growling at Earthbound Immortal Uru. Its golden eyes gleamed fearlessly.

"Quite late in the game to bring out your trump card, isn't it?" Roman retorted.

"We'll see about that! I also activate the trap card Shooting Star. When I control a Stardust Dragon, I can destroy one card you control, and I think I'll target your Spider Web!" Stardust Dragon began to glow.

Roman smirked. "It's too easy. I'll counter with a trap called Nihility Hole!" Roman revealed his trap. Stardust Dragon stopped glowing, and Uru seemed to curl up in pain. "By reducing my Earthbound Immortal's attack to nothing this turn, I can negate your Shooting Star." Roman growled. He couldn't make an attack with no power to back it. He was forced to end his turn. "May this be your final move, Yusei."

"It will be," Yusei smiled when he drew his next card, but it quickly faded. He couldn't relax now. Not until Roman was defeated.

Uru uncurled, returning to its original 3000 attack points.

"I activate a spell… Battle Waltz! It creates a token with the same characteristics as my Stardust Dragon!" A similar dragon appeared on the field, but wasn't cloak in the same glorious light. He knew Uru couldn't be selected as an attack target. "Waltz Token! Attack Roman directly!" The other dragon moved to attack, but Uru moved in to protect Roman.

"Have you forgotten about my Roar of the Earthbound Deity? I'll destroy your token and end this!" he exclaimed.

"No, I haven't. I'll use the effect of my Stardust Dragon to release it. I will negate the effect of your trap and destroy it!" Yusei informed.

The card shattered and the dragon flew over Uru. His Stardust Dragon vanished from the field. As it did, Roman had another trap waiting.

"You think you've finished me? I activate Glowing Image of the Guardian God! It allows me to change your attack target to my Earthbound Immortal!" The spider caught the dragon and pulled it down. There was an explosion on impact. Roman was certain the attack would end Yusei. But, when the smoke cleared, Yusei was still standing.

"Any damage I take from a battle involving my Waltz Token is reduced to Zero, and when it's destroyed, your monster loses power equal to its attack," he informed. Uru writhed in pain, with only 500 attack points left. "So many people have suffered because of Zero Reverse. And… it WAS my father's research to begin with… Jack and Crow… the three of us grew up without our parents. If it didn't happen, maybe our lives wouldn't be so absurd… I wonder why my friends still see me as such when it was my father's research that caused all of this… I hope I can make it up to them…but perhaps it doesn't matter what happens to me."

Everyone was surprised but Yusei's sudden outpouring of emotions. Suddenly, a voice rang out from below them. "I'm sorry you feel that way! It must be tough to carry that around…" Crow appeared in a window just above Era, the twins, and Trudge.

Yusei turned to see Crow. "I never thought you felt that way," Crow called to him, "I…I never thought of my life being the way it is because it was your dad's fault. I don't see why you should take responsibility for what happened. You're my friend, Yusei. If Zero Reverse hadn't happened… well… it may not be true. Win for your friends, Yusei. Not because of any guilt that hangs over you."

Yusei understood, but was confused that he was accepted so easily. "Crow is right," Era responded, "You shouldn't feel guilty for something your father was involved in." Yusei paused. "Besides it was Roman's actions that made Zero Reverse happen not your father." He nodded understanding Era as well.

"I don't rely on insanity, Roman. Only my irreplaceable friends," Yusei then activated another trap. It was still the Battle Phase. "With the effect of Stardust Flash, I can bring Stardust Dragon back for one more battle, and this time Uru can't stop it!"

Stardust Dragon emerged and rushed at Uru, its mouth gathering a great beam of light. Yusei declared his attack and the energy stream shot from his dragon's mouth and caused a great blast.

The blast enveloped Roman and he couldn't help but let out a cry of was enough to strip Roman of any remaining life points. With nothing left, Yusei emerged from the duel, injured but victorious.

When the vapors cleared, Roman had collapsed to his knees. His body was turning gray. But, Yusei noticed he was laughing. "Sorry. You may have won, Yusei. But, I can't allow you to leave!" Yusei didn't understand what Roman meant. "An ultimate god has now been set free."

"What! What are you saying?" Yusei was stunned.

Roman removed the Duel Disk panel from his artificial arm. In the midst of this Crow turned around to see a stunned blonde standing behind him.

"Yusei," Roman sneered, "If the four control towers are not activated by sunset, the door of the Netherworld will open and its king shall be resurrected. And a friend of yours will begin a real battle within her own body." He then pulled a string attached to his arm. "I can't let you succeed… therefore I can't allow you to leave this place…"

Suddenly, there was a great explosion. The suspension bridge was destroyed. As Roman faded into dust, he turned his head.

Yusei tried to grab onto the ledge, but he couldn't reach far enough. Bits of wood and debris fell all around him into Momentum.

Era reached for him, but they were too far apart. In desperation, he let out a scream as he fell into Momentum's light. "Yusei!" Everyone shouted, almost paralyzed as they watched him fading into the light.

Without warning, Era impulsively jumped in after him. "Era, what are you doing?" Trudge tried to grab her in mid-descent, but missed. Soon, both Yusei and Era vanished.

"What was she trying to do?!" Luna emitted a worried cry, tears coming down her cheeks.

Crow also felt the sorrow dawning upon him. The last of rocks and scraps of the bridge disappeared into the light. The black clouds still swirled above them. "They'll come back. Era knows the outcome and he can bring her back," Crow said.

"In the meantime… Jack and Akiza still have to seal the remaining towers…" Trudge said.

Elsewhere, Goodwin had somehow returned to the Temple beneath his mansion. As he stood on top of it, he stared at the glass case with his brother's arm inside of it. He knew the final battle was drawing ever closer. And Era seemed to know every bit of what will come to pass. He didn't know how, but he would find out.


	28. Race to Beating Wings

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 26**

**Race to Beating Wings**

Everyone imprisoned by Earthbound Immortal Uru was released. Rally and Martha were among them.

Martha looked around for Yusei and any of the others, a little confused as to why they weren't there. However, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she saw Rally standing among the crowd of mystified people.

Jack saw the group appear out of an orb of purple light as he was heading up an old highway above them. It was good to know Yusei had won his duel. But, Jack still had his duel with Carly. He didn't quite believe it was here, though. _'Could she really have become a Dark Signer? Why?'_ he thought.

The truth was he owed a lot to Carly. She saved him and cared for him after he dueled a possessed Officer Trudge. She didn't take any garbage from him, and when she was at Awards Ceremony… she knew something wasn't right.

In midst of all this, Carly had disappeared, and for the longest time he thought she had been a sacrifice. He noticed her glasses that were in his pocket. It forced him to remember Carly, to realize she had gone out of her way to help him even though he acted like a jerk.

And he repaid her with abandonment, with forgetfulness. Perhaps by defeating whoever this Dark Signer was, even if it was her… He secretly wished it would somehow bring her back. Somehow it would save her.

Even though all these thoughts were inside of him, his face was expressionless. He jumped over a rock with ease. The tower of the Hummingbird was dead ahead. Was Carly even there?

He still had her glasses tucked away in his pocket. This time he wouldn't forget. This time he wouldn't abandon someone who had given so much to him. "Carly? Say something if you can hear me!" Jack called out.

The sound of an engine flooded his hearing and turned his attention to the opposite side of the tower. Someone on a red, stylish Duel Runner came around towards him. He thought they might hit him, but the Duel Runner jumped and glided over him, coming back around in a half-circle. The Runner finally stopped and front of him and he could see that the rider was Carly.

"Where did you get that Duel Runner, Carly?" he asked, "Second of all, since when did you ever learn to use one? Last I checked, you don't know how to Turbo Duel."

"Let's just say I thought it'd be more of a thrill to take you down on your own turf." She removed her helmet. "I was waiting for you, Jack. I'm glad you made it…"

'_No, this can't really be Carly, can it?'_ He shook his head. He couldn't believe that this Dark Signer was really her. But his eyes were telling him another story.

"I came back from the edge of death just so I could meet you, Jack," she explained in an almost dreamy tone of voice.

Jack was still unconvinced. "What do you mean by that? What happened to you, Carly?"

He remembered her glasses in his pocket and looked down towards them for a moment or two. Carly's face turned grim.

"When you left me, I didn't stop my investigation into the mystery of the Crimson Dragon. So, I went to the Arcadia Movement looking for Akiza Izinski and was killed by their leader, Sayer."

Jack face twisted in shock. "Why would you do something so reckless? So stupid! Granted, I figured you a little clumsy from what little time I spent with you…but this…"

"I just wanted to get a little closer to you, Jack! But you pushed me away!" Carly retorted.

Jack averted his gaze, tightening his fist. "You're right, I did. I was self-absorbed and I didn't bother to stop and actually worry about someone besides myself. But, I thought you were sacrificed to the Earthbound Immortals!" _'And Era was right. I do have an ego to hide my true side. But I'm going to change that right now!'_ he thought.

"You thought you could save me by defeating the Dark Signers. But, instead, I am the Dark Signer you have to fight in order to save everyone," Carly mused. "Tell me, are you having doubts about having to duel me?"

"No, so, why don't we quit joking around and get on with it," Jack growled. "If you truly wish to aim a bow and arrow at me, I promise you I will break it by force!"

Carly laughed. "That's what I would expect from you. As Signer and Dark Signer we are bound by destiny to hate one another as the Immortals and the Crimson Dragon hate each other."

The symbol of the Hummingbird glowed on her right arm and its violet flaming geoglyph appeared along the ground. It reminded him of Yusei's first duel with Kalin. He would have to be careful, and hope that he could manage to bring her down before her Earthbound Immortal came into play.

The two of them took off on their Duel Runners. "So what do you say we start this duel of destiny, Jack?"

Jack still felt uneasy. Did Carly really want to fight him?

Meanwhile, off in the distance, Mina and Akiza could see the reflection of the geoglyph hanging in the sky. The two of them realized the duel had started. Mina paused and gazed at the reflection anxiously.

Akiza calmed her by putting her hand on Mina's shoulder. "Jack will be alright."

Mina sighed. "He has to be. But, I'm still worried about him." She started up the Jeep again. "We have to keep moving. It won't be long until we reach the tower where Misty is supposed to be. Are you ready?"

Akiza fell quiet. "I… I don't know. But, I have to be. I don't have a choice."

Inside the raging flames, Carly raced ahead of Jack, looking back at him with a look of disappointment.

"It's so ironic. You paid no attention to me when I was on your side. But now that I'm a Dark Signer you come to rush to my rescue! You're something, you know that?" Carly said.

"Carly!" Jack tried.

"Jack," Carly snickered sardonically, "You can't avoid destiny. This duel was fated to happen. Now activate Speed World so our destiny can unfold!"

Jack pushed the button. A card flashed on his screen and suddenly the sky around them seemed to take on the hue of the flames that surrounded them.

"I don't need you to tell me how to duel," he grumbled, "Now let's see which one of us is going first, shall we?"

The two of them sped up towards the first turn. Carly smirked. She knew Jack could fight if he had to rise to the occasion, and she liked that. But, the darkness inside of her waited quietly, watching for any trip that would cause Jack to fall.

"If you want to die, Carly, I will grant your wish!" Jack said.

"I'm not the one who'll be dying, Jack," she responded.

As Jack sped up to pass her, she rammed into him with her Duel Runner. His Runner hit the wall of flames. The fire licked at Jack and he felt a searing pain on his right side. He tried his best to keep it in but yelled out.

Carly laughed as she passed him and turned the corner. "I guess fate has decided that I should have the first move," Carly said.

"As if…" he muttered sarcastically.

That was definitely something Carly wouldn't have done. _'If this really was Carly,'_ he thought, _'then the same malevolence hung over her that had taken hold over Kalin and the other Dark Signers. It was malevolence,'_ he suspected, _'that would do whatever it took to win.'_

She could say whatever she wanted to about fate. But her actions spoke louder than her words. "I draw a card, and summon Fortune Lady Light in defense mode!" A deathly pale skinned woman emerged in a blast of radiant light, wearing a skin-tight, short golden dress and thigh high black boots. She wore a head piece that looked like a pair of bat wings erupting from her hair. (Fortune Lady Light is a level one Light attributed Spellcaster type monster whose attack and defense are determined via its special ability.) "On my next turn, and every turn after that, the level of my Fortune Lady Light increases by one, and her attack and defense become 200 times her current level. Because my Fortune Lady is level one this turn, her attack is 200."

As Carly looked at the cards in her head, she thought back to the other Dark Signers that brought her back with them.

**~Flashback~**

She had sat in her room along, sobbing. She had not yet accepted her fate and couldn't come to grips with what had happened to her or why.

In the midst of it all, a voice from nowhere. It told her that if she wanted answers they would be revealed in her fortune. That would be the path destiny had planned for her. She went along with it, even though she felt like she was going crazy. Why should she listen to a disembodied voice?

Then again, fortune telling had been a hobby of hers in the past. She would use her cards to divine her fortune every day, and doing so that night eased her mind, at least for a moment. A card in the middle of her deck had begun to shine brightly, and when she picked it up, it was a Trap card. Its name was Prophecy of the Future King, a card she was holding in her hand right now.

That night when she was alone in her room, that card had shown her a vision of the future. Her future. It was then she accepted her fate and her eyes blackened with the darkness of the Earthbound Immortals.

**~Flashback Ended~**

"I'll end my turn with a facedown card. Prepare yourself, Jack!" she called back.

Jack looked sternly at his deck as he drew a card. "Fine then, it's my turn!" At this point, Jack saw he and Carly were beginning to accumulate Speed Counters. He looked at the card in his hand. Jack had no idea what Carly's strategy would be. What could he do? "I end my turn here."

Carly looked up. "You're not going to do anything? No summon? No monster attack? Not even setting a single card on the field?"

She looked back down at her deck and drew a card to begin her turn. "I see. You've accepted your destiny haven't you? If this is what you wish, I will gladly take your life with all the force I am capable of throwing at you!" She looked at Jack with a hardened gaze. "I'll sacrifice my Fortune Lady Light to advance summon a much stronger power! Fortune Lady Earth!" Fortune Lady Light disappeared in a golden burst. In her place was a sorceress with a similar appearance. However, this one was much taller, with glasses, short brown hair, and a tan color to her clothes. Her skin had a slightly darker hue, and her expression seemed apathetic. (Fortune Lady Earth is a level six Earth attributed Spellcaster type monster whose attack and defense are determined via its special ability.) "Since I removed Fortune Lady Light from the field, I can special summon another Fortune Lady from my deck, and I choose Fortune Lady Dark!" A woman in a purple robe with midnight violet hair emerged. Like Fortune Lady Earth and Fortune Lady Earth, she wielded the staff with a decoration and a blade on each end. (Fortune Lady Dark is a level five Dark attributed Spellcaster type monster whose attack and defense points are determined via its special ability.)

Jack looked at the monitor on his Duel Runner, and as he suspected, the abilities of these two monsters echoed her previous one. However, when her saw their actual numbers, he was stunned.

Fortune Lady Earth had an impressive 2400 attack points, and Fortune Lady Dark wasn't that far behind with a similar stat of 2000 attack points. He knew if both of them attacked, he would lose right then and there. He had nothing protecting him. "Get ready Jack, this is going to hurt."

'_This is unreal,'_ Jack thought._ 'No, it's insane.'_

"Alright! Fortune Lady Earth, attack Jack directly!" Carly ordered.

With a wave of the sorceress's arm, sharp spikes burst forth from the ground, scratching and stabbing at Jack and bombarding his Duel Runner.

Jack howled from the pain and his life points dropped to 1600. Any Speed Counters he had gained were wiped out.

Blood started trickling down Jack's face and seeped into his clothes. Carly didn't hesitate to launch her second attack with Fortune Lady Dark. As her monster jumped at him to strike, Jack remembered the time he had spent with Carly, thought it was brief. She had been kind to him. She looked after him. She stood up to him once when he was a jerk. But, she always tried to make sure he was okay when he was with her. She couldn't hurt anyone.

'_That was the real Carly,' _he thought._ 'Carly couldn't hurt anyone…'_

As Fortune Lady Dark's staff came swooping down, cloaked in black energy, Jack grabbed a card and looked up at his attacker unflinchingly. "I'm activating the ability of a monster in my hand! Whenever I receive and take damage from a direct attack, I can special summon Ogre of Bloody Tears from my hand if my opponents declares a second attack. The attack and defense of my Ogre becomes equal to the damage of the first attack, and your monster is forced to attack my Ogre instead of me." The Ogre was a massive, muscular creature with cobalt skin wearing a scarlet wrapping around its torso. It had sickly yellow hair and three horns jutting from its head. As its name implied, crimson tears flowed from its eyes. It bore up its club against Fortune Lady Dark and the two charged against each other into battle. (Ogre of Bloody Tears is a level four Dark attributed Fiend type monster whose attack and defense are determined via its special ability.) The Ogre swung his club and smashed it into the Fortune Lady, causing her to fly through the air and disappear into a puff of smoke. Carly felt a sting shoot up through her body and saw her life points drop to 3600.

"So, you are fighting back? Very well. You still can't oppose destiny, Jack. I end my turn by placing a card down on the field. Come get me if that's your plan!" Carly growled.

"It's not you Carly," he muttered. "If I have to give my life to free you from whatever if possessing you to be this way, then so be it."

. . .

In the meantime, Akiza and Mina were off in the distance at the lights of the duel flashing up in the sky. Nobody knew that Jack was dueling Carly, and the only people who had even a faint knowledge of Carly and her relationship to Jack were Mina and Era.

But, only Era had the knowledge that Carly had become a Dark Signer. Mina didn't know at the moment, though. However, she had her suspicions.

"I think… There was a girl that was captured by the Dark Signers… and I know Jack felt bad because this girl had tried to help him… I wonder if that's who he is fighting now," Mina said.

Akiza looked at her glowing arm. "It seems that the Dark Signer we fight is always connected to us somehow, either a loved one or someone who bears a grudge against us. It wouldn't be surprising if someone like that was Jack's opponent."

"When you were fighting Misty back in the Arcadia Movement's headquarters… I heard you and the others say something about two Earthbound Immortals."

"Yeah… Sayer was dueling someone Misty called her 'friend.' Her monster was supposed to be… a Hummingbird," Akiza explained.

Mina thought that either way, Jack had Carly's glasses with him. Despite her care for him, she seemed distant. Carly had a special place in Jack's mind and heart, perhaps. Not an obsession. But he did have a place for her. Mina sighed. But, what made her hopeful was Jack wasn't consumed with his own self-interest anymore.

He was fighting for someone else now.

. . .

"It's my turn!" Jack drew his card, and saw he was starting to gain Speed Counters again. "I'll start things off by summoning Power Supplier in defense mode!" (Power Supplier is a level two Earth attributed Spellcaster type monster with 400 attack and defense points.) "With its effect, Power Supplier can increase the attack power of my Ogre of Bloody Tears by 400 points; this will give him 2800 attack," Jack explained. Power Supplier raised his oversized contraption and multicolored energy sprang forth, surrounding the ogre. The ogre roared at pumped its fists.

But Carly was rather unimpressed with the display. "I already have a trap lying in wait for you, Jack," Carly revealed her hidden card with a sickening glee, "I activate the Trap, Twist of Fate!" Suddenly Power Supplier disappeared from the field in a puff of light and the energy around Ogre of Bloody Tears dissipated. "Your Power Supplier returns to your hand, and you cannot use it for the rest of this turn. Whatever you are trying to do is useless." Jack's Ogre still remained at 2400 attack points. Jack shook his head in frustration. "Your destiny has already been determined, Jack."

Jack could see that on Carly's next turn, her Fortune Lady Earth would gain more attack power and exceed the power of his Ogre. He looked down at his hand for something that might be of use. A trap card titled "Change Destiny" caught his eye.

"I set one card face down and end my turn," he declared. As the sped along the trail of violet flames, Carly looked back at him with a curious smile.

"Interesting you choose to end it there. Not what I would expect from you, but that's fine by me. It is my turn and I draw!" As Carly drew a card from her deck, each of them gained a Speed Counter. She mused as she looked at her hand, assured that Jack's fate was sealed. "I will finish you off completely in this one turn."

"If you think you can do so, they bring you best…" Jack braced himself. Carly chuckled to herself; she had no intention of being merciful, despite his show of good courage.

She then looked to her Fortune Lady, which increased in level from 6 to 7, making its attack power 2800. Jack felt a sudden shock as the effect of her monster drained his life points down to 1200. He cried out from the pain, but tried to cut himself off. He relent here, even when staring down such daunting odds.

"Fortune Lady Earth! Attack with your cursed skewer!" Her Fortune Lady flew above the Orge, impaling it with its weapon and shattering it, and reducing Jack's life points to 800. The force of the impact caused Jack's Duel Runner to shutter and shake, and in moment her lost control and the Runner stopped altogether, halting in the middle of the field.

Pleased with her work, Carly rode back to him, laughing at her handiwork. Jack felt himself growing weak and beginning to slump over and desperately tried to get back up. He cannot be stopped her. He's handled worse than this, has he not? He put his hand to his face and when he draws it away he sees it covered in blood.

"Don't worry, Jack. Your destiny is about to begin soon."

"Carly…" Jack breathes, "The destiny of which you speak doesn't exist. I will wake you up with my own hands. I will not be defeated here."

"You're the one that needs waking, Jack. Don't you realize what this duel is about? This is a fight for the two of us to be together," she began to speak more softly to him, "When all is done, we will be promised to each other in a destiny that is eternal. This is what my cards have told me."

Jack wasn't quite sure what to make of what she was saying as she began looking at one of the cards she had set down on the field. "This is the card that revealed our destiny… Prophecy of the Future King!" A bright light began to shine, and Jack could feel himself beginning to fade. "When a Spellcaster of mine destroys you monster, I can use it to attack again…" Suddenly, everything went black, and his thoughts became clouded and confused. At first he felt an incredible pain, and then a resounding in silence. But, after what seemed like an eternity, a voice called out into the darkness.

"Jack! Wake up! Open your eyes!" came a voice.

Jack's eyes shot open and he leapt up. He looked around to see he was not in a duel anymore. The room around him was ivory with rose silk curtains hanging around the windows and a massive bed and carpet with a similar color scheme. There was a faint scent, perhaps of incense or a fire burning. All seemed quiet at first, but then he remembered hearing Carly's voice.

"What's going on, here?" he asked.

"Jack, are you okay? You seemed to be in the midst of a nightmare," Carly asked.

He turned to see Carly sitting quietly in a chair by the bed, smiling at him. But, she was still a Dark Signer. He shook his head and looked down and was shocked to see he was different. His clothes were black with orange trim, similar to hers, and instead of the mark of the Crimson Dragon's Wings on his arm, the mark of the Hummingbird was glowing an eerie violet where his original mark had been. Perhaps this is the nightmare, he thought.

"How can I be a Dark Signer? When did this happen?!" He looked over to a massive mirror hanging on the wall. His eyes were blackened and a red mark coursed across his face like a scar. Carly stood up and hugged him tightly around the waist.

"It's okay, Jack. You might still be a little fogged over from the dream. You were already taken once. You need not worry," Carly said.

Jack hesitated. Taken once? Had he lost the duel… and died?

"The effect of Prophecy of the Future King allowed my monster to attack again; it reduced your remaining life points to 0 and you fell off your Runner. Don't you remember? You died because I defeated you… But I brought you back with my power so we could be together. You're just like me now."

Jack pushed her back at first, not at first believing what she was telling him. He can't be a Dark Signer!

He made his way to the window to see the ominous outside world. All the buildings around are cracked, toppled over, and otherwise ruined. Rivers of Lava were flowing in every direction around. Jack stepped back, finding difficult to swallow that this was what had become of the world.

"Do you remember Jack? The 5000 yearlong battle between the Signers and Dark Signers ended, with the Dark Signers claiming victory because Jack had become one of them. The Crimson Dragon and the dragons that gave birth to it and their Signers are destroyed now… it was truly a day for us. Wasn't it?"

These memories she spoke of started flowing into his mind like water flowing out of a vase. He allowed Carly to approach him and put her hand over his.

"I…I already remember…Because of our victory, the world is now becoming as it is," he said. But he realized Era wasn't in any of these thoughts. "What about Era?"

"She was consumed by her power. And just as the prophecy stated became the portal that would be her world's and her own demise," Carly said. "And this world you see is yours. It was given to you for you to ruler over it on high as its Dark King…" Carly looked up at him longingly. Suddenly, Jack felt a sudden feeling of satisfaction he couldn't quite explain. He had awakened from the slumber of death to be a king. He didn't need his friends and the bonds that tied him to them. They couldn't make him happy, but this world where he could be king…it was ideal, the thought occurred to him. He at first wanted to question it, but he felt easily dismissive of it. "Isn't it wonderful, Jack? We live in a world where everything is as we want it. This is the future foretold by Prophecy of the Future King and the future that led me to becoming a Dark Signer. It's all so I could be with you…"

Suddenly, an image of Carly declaring her second attack flashes across his consciousness. He can see himself almost immobilized, as if waiting to receive the Fortune Lady's attack. He sees an object drop from his pocket.

The vision fades and he sees that things around him have changed. Jack found himself now sitting on a golden throne with Carly at his side, leaning on him and caressing his arm. He could see below him that it was on a platform, being carried by what appeared to be spirits with the appearance of withering corpses wearing tattered rags. "Everything in this world has already turned their loyalty to you."

Jack looked at the spirits, understanding that this was a sign that no living humans were alive. He looked down at the mark on his arm. He was the king of Duels, only to have his title and his pride stripped from him. But now he was much more than that, he was the High Ruler of this dark Earth, with all creatures at his command, and Carly lovingly at his side.

He turns around and leans in to kiss Carly, their lips just barely centimeters apart. But, then he feels a sudden urge to look to his side, as a faint glimmer catches his eye.

He squints and sees the object nearby is the old pairs of glasses he kept that were Carly's. He suddenly sees Carly in his mind as she was before she became a Dark Signer. He remembered how when Trudge was possessed by them that she came to his rescue. He remembered how she had stayed with him for a time to make sure he was alright, and how she had been there when Goodwin used him for his own plans.

"No…" He drew away from her; suddenly rejecting everything he saw and looked at Carly with an indignant expression. "This isn't what you would want. The real Carly… no, this is all wrong!" he said.

Carly's face twisted into an expression of shock. It is at this point he stirs awake, in the midst of his duel with her. _'It was all an illusion,' _he thought. _'It was the effect of her card, but it won't be the world that is to come.'_

"I open my trap… Change Destiny! It allows you to select your monster and either inflict its attack points as damage to me or increase your own life points!" he informed.

Fortune Lady Earth stopped in her tracks, staring at the Golden Light glowing from the card. He had escaped his foretold death… for now. Jack searches desperately until he finds Carly's glasses, and clenches them in his hand.

"Why must you oppose destiny, Jack? If I win, we'll be so happy together!" She demanded. He glared at her and held out her old glasses to her.

"This illusion you showed me is false! It isn't what you want, and you taught me something about wanting something that's real when I was with you. But it took me until now to realize it!" _'My future has not been determined yet,' _he thought. _'I can change this around.'_

He felt himself changing, from being jealous of what someone else had to saving someone that wanted him, saving them because he couldn't repay them or apologize enough for leaving her to become what the Earthbound Immortals had turned her into.

The duel still seemed in Carly's favor with the Dark Signer having 3600 life points. Jack was scraping by with only 800. But, with Change Destiny now activated, there was a chance to recover, and perhaps get through to the good person Carly was underneath. He still held out her glasses, trying to remind her of that person.

"I refuse to accept this," she hissed. "I know you would want this world of darkness I offer. I will not listen to these lies of yours." She tried to outride Jack on her Duel Runner, but even with his injuries he kept his pace the best he could. It was not long before he was right behind her again. "Do not persist, Jack! I came back as a Dark Signer for you! I came back to create a world where we could be together. This is my wish, my fate."

"You're wrong, Carly. You've never been so wrong. Would you listen to yourself?" Jack asked. Carly growled at Jack's retort. "Listen, you were the one who told me to stop feeling sorry for myself after I lost to Yusei in the Fortune Cup," Jack replied. Carly gave no response. "You told me that night that I was chasing a part of my life that was dead and buried. You asked why I didn't choose to start a new chapter in my life and live as the King Jack Atlas that I could be and that so many people had come to admire. Well, you were right. I was caught up in my jealousy and I let my pride take me down the path of ruin. I wasn't true to myself. You were the one who made me realize that, Carly. If only I has listened to you sooner… after all, I didn't forget those words."

He looked back to his Trap Card, reminded that the duel was not yet over. "Now that Change Destiny has activated, you have one of two choices, Carly. You can gain life points equal to half of the attack of your Fortune Lady Earth, which is 1400. Or… you can inflict that same amount as damage to mine. This is, as I said, a choice you must make."

Jack knew well in his head that he was making a gutsy move. The logical move would be for Carly to inflict damage to his life points and win the duel, as the amount of damage would be greater than what life he had left. Anyone could see that. However, he was banking on something he had not thought to put much faith in until now. The heart Carly still had within in her, or so he hoped.

"What are you playing at, Jack? I can easily end you right here! You're so stupid… stopping my attack when you're just going to lose anyway. How can you be so calm when defeat is staring at you with its gaping maw?" Carly glared at him with annoyance.

"I'm trying to show you that you're in control of your own fate, Carly. Not someone else or any unseen force of destiny. I believe in you now, as I should have from the beginning… now, make a choice for yourself, not some predetermined force!"

Carly scoffed. "You are acting as if a choice exists where there is none. But, regardless, you will be mine very soon Jack, as I have already made my choice, I will chose the effect that…" Suddenly, she stopped in midsentence, as though her lips were sealed shut.

The Dark Signer turned her gaze, only to see Jack's eyes boring into hers. Suddenly, her eyes flashed, the whites of her eyes temporarily taking on a normal tone before returning to their darkened state.

Her mind was immediately flooded with the few memories she had of Jack, not only the arguments and the heartbreak, but the teamwork, the support, and all the good things she could possibly think of. What was this swarm of madness that had overcome her? Or was it perhaps…a swarm of sanity?

"I will… choose… the effect that…" Her voice became the timid, hesitant one that Jack had remembered of the Carly he knew. She closed her eyes, only to open them again, her eyes once again flashing normal colors instead of the blackened dusk of a Dark Signer. "…the effect that…restores my life points."

Suddenly a wave of golden light washed over her as her life points climb up to 5000. Jack stepped on the accelerator of his Duel Runner. He pulled up alongside her, never taking his eyes away from hers.

"Carly…are you ready to be yourself again?" he asked.

Tears began streaking down her face, and it was then then that he was sure that he was speaking to Carly as she truly was. "I'm so sorry, Jack… I'm so sorry, I never wanted any of this, you're right, I don't…"

She was trying to keep herself from sobbing, causing something to tug at Jack in his mind. "It's not your fault. I know you're not the type of person who hurts others, more than most."

Through her tearstained face, Carly managed a smile, and Jack looked up at her, hopeful that this battle was finally coming to an end. However, his hopes were dashed when a violet light started to emit from the Hummingbird birthmark on her arm.

Carly instantly shrieked in pain, her face twisted in agony. "Carly! Are you alright?"

_**"Her wish is irrelevant,"**_ an ominous voice boomed, seemingly from nowhere, its words echoing across the terrain, _**"Carly belongs to us. She is a Dark Signer, and the fate of a Dark Signer is to fight the Signers and destroy them."**_

A large, heavy black shadow formed above Carly, like a wash of black ink pouring over her. Jack's expression turned to that of rage and dismay. "You! You did this to Carly!"

_**"Dark Signer!"**_ The voice cut through the air like a knife. _**"You WILL bury this chosen of the Crimson Dragon."**_

"No… I won't…" Carly fought back.

_**"It is not your choice, and you have no power to resist. You belong to us,"**_ the being retorted angrily.

The cloud of black started to rush into Carly's ears and mouth, her eyes beginning to glow with the same light as her Dark Signer birthmark. When it disappeared completely, Carly grinned at Jack wickedly, her eyes brightly aglow.

_**"Now, let us continue without pointless interruption."**_ She spoke with the disembodied voice echoing her words. The one dueling Jack now was not her at all, but the true force of evil Jack had to contend with. And it now held Carly's mind and spirit hostage while using her body as its tool to carry out the dark purpose of the Earthbound Immortals.

And so, the duel continued, it still being the turn of Carly, or the thing that was now controlling her physical form. A card was picked from her hand. _**"I activate the Speed Spell, Curse of Fate! Beware this, Signer,"**_ spoke the possessed Carly. _**"In exchange for two or more speed counters, I may place two curse counters on one of my monsters. In exchange for not attacking, I may remove one of these counters to inflict half of my monster's attack points to you as damage. However, I have already attacked so I may not use the effect immediately. Make your last pathetic move." **_The turn was ended by placing two cards face down. The evil that took hold of Carly laughed at Jack mockingly and sneered at him. _**"You will be crushed by the one you love. You cannot escape this fate."**_

"I will win, and I will make you pay for using Carly for your ends! I will not forgive the Earthbound Immortals for making Carly a Dark Signer, and for trying to destroy everything! If you want to fight me, then fine. But you will be the one who is buried. Right back in the hole in the earth you dragged yourself out of!" Jack yelled.

It was Jack's turn again, and he had only three Speed Counters while 'Carly' had five. He drew a card to begin his turn, determined to bring this insanity to its deserving grave.

"I'll start things off by summoning Vice Dragon in attack mode via its special ability. Since you are the only one with a monster on the field, I can summon my dragon without a tribute even though it's over level four." A muscular green dragon appeared on the field in a beam of light, growling at Carly's Fortune Lady. (Vice Dragon is a level five Dragon type monster with 2000 attack and 2400 defense points.) "However, the attack power of my dragon is halved if I summon him in this way," Jack added. Carly noted the monster's attack points drop to 1000. "Next, I'll summon Dark Resonator, a tuner monster. And, with that, I'll immediately tune my monsters together for a synchro summon." (Dark Resonator is a level three dark attributed Fiend type tuner monster with 1300 attack and 200 defense points.) Before his monster could fully appear on the field, a circle of light appeared, making the monster's form look white. A pair of red eyes glared at Carly as Vice Dragon was sucked into the circle of light. The light turned into a beam and a draconic form began to replace the ones of the two monsters that had been there before. "Come forth, my soul, Red Dragon Archfiend!"

His ace monster appeared as a horned, demonic dragon. Its red and black body rippled with muscle and power, and its golden eyes gleamed in the light of the violet flames surrounding the two duelists. It roared triumphantly as Jack's signer mark began to glow with an intense red light. "Carly" smirked, knowing that this was the form of the Signer's dragon. (Red Dragon Archfiend is a level eight dragon type monster with 3000 attack and 2000 defense points. It is a synchro monster.) "Your dragon, your symbol as a signer, has come to join us. Good, I have been waiting to destroy your beast since the beginning of this game." A Trap card was then revealed. "I activate the card, Class Change, which increase the level of a monster on the field by one. I will use it to increase the level of my Fortune Lady, this allowing her attack power to exceed that of your Red Dragon Archfiend."

Jack remembered that with a Fortune Lady, their level determines their power. Fortune Lady Earth's attack power increased to 3200 points, and a fierce look appeared in her eyes. However, there was one part of the effect he had not quite remembered. "Oh, and that level increase results in 400 points of damage to you. Have fun."

Jack howled in pain as his life points dropped to a sliver of 400. He could hear the possessed laughter of his opponent. "Hanging on by only a thread. I am certain you will be finished on my next turn."

Jack did his best to keep himself going. "I assure you that won't happen." He then revealed a face down card of his own. "I'm going to activate my Speed Spell, Half Seize, which I can play now that I have three speed counters. What it does is that your monster's attack points are cut in half, and I get to add the amount to my life points. Maybe you shouldn't count me out just yet."

Fortune Lady Earth shrieked, and she seemed drained of her energy. Her attack went down to 1600, a clear indicator of its weakened state. Jack felt a restorative feeling as he saw those points put into his life points, the number climbing up to 2000.

The possessed Carly grimaced, fuming at how the Signer had managed to pull himself from the Trap that had been set. With her monster now weaker that Red Dragon Archfiend, it was clear what Jack would do next. He declared his monster's attack, and in a burst of flame and ripping claws, Fortune Lady Earth was gone. The Dark Signer let out a cry as her life points were dropped to 3600, and she also lost a speed counter in the process for taking more than 1000 points of damage.

The Dark Signer began to lose control of her Duel Runner, and the vehicle slammed into the flames of the geoglyph. She shrieked, and Jack eyes widened, wondering if the real Carly was feeling just as much pain as the evil that was possessing her.

"Carly!" Jack yelled. At first, he received no response. "Carly! Answer me! Are you alright?"

He heard a groan of pain, but when Carly looked back up he saw that her eyes were still emitting that light of the evil that was controlling her. She briefly glared at Jack before hitting the accelerator of her Runner to put some distance between the two of them. "Wait! Carly!" he called.

She completely ignored him, moving to activate a Trap Card. "I counter with Fortune Inherit. When a Fortune Lady of mine is destroyed, I can have two Fortune Lady's take her place on my next turn." The card faded. Jack shook his head before setting a card of his own face down.

At this rate, it didn't seem like he was going to win Carly back from the Dark Signers. He then mentally slapped himself. And with an attitude like that, he told himself, he might as well seal his own fate here and now. And there was no way he was going to do that.

It was Carly's turn, and now their speed counters were nearly even, Carly having five while Jack had four. Following the effect of the Trap she played earlier, she summoned two Fortune Ladies, declaring their names as they were summoned to the field. "Fortune Lady Wind and Water, come to my aid!"

Two similar looking Fortune Ladies of green and blue color scheme appeared on the field, with the same style of outfit and weaponry as the previous monsters. Their hair billowed in the breeze, looking like a cascade of water of air currents. (Fortune Lady Wind is a level three Wind attribute Spellcaster type, while Fortune Lady Water is a Water attribute Spellcaster type. Both have 0 initial attack and 0 initial defense points.)

Going with similar effects as the Fortune Ladies before, each monster gained 300 attack and defense points per level they had, giving Fortune Lady Wind 900 points in both stats and Fortune Lady Water 1200 points in each stat. "I activate the secondary effect of Fortune Lady Water, which allows me to draw cards for each Fortune Lady on my field. That's two cards." She did so, and a wicked grin appeared on her face. "You shall become my sacrifice, Jack… for now you shall tremble beneath the might of a God. My Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu!" A giant heart of stone appeared in the air above them, beating as the bodies of the Fortune Ladies turned black and crumbled to dust. White lights began to shine all around the heart and the earth shook beneath them. "Now, let the door to the Underworld open! Come forth, my Earthbound Immortal!"

Jack remembered what was said before, and he guessed the lights around the forming monstrosity were the souls of captured people being used to fuel the beast. Out of the ground, a twisted, bird like creature with orange lines crossing its body emerged. It flapped its skeletal wings, letting out a blood curdling cry. It was absolutely massive, towering over everything in sight. (Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu is a level ten Winged Beast type monster with 2500 attack and defense points.)

Jack wondered if the real Carly felt what was happening was her fault. _'It wasn't,'_ he told himself. _'And if she didn't know that, well, as soon as everything was over I'll tell her a thousand time over. It was the fault of the Earthbound Immortals, and it finally took form, and now was the time to fight or die.'_ And he kept telling himself he and his Red Dragon Archfiend could not fail. It wasn't an option.

However, knowing the effects of an Earthbound Immortal from previous experience, he knew just was about to happen next. Earthbound Immortals could make direct attacks, and most monsters could not stand in their way. And so, that is what the possessed Carly set out to do. "Now, Jack! Receive the judgment of a God!"

"I will die before I lose this duel, before I lose you to this madness!" he retorted, finding that this was not yet the end.

"I activate the effect of Battle Fader! When you attack, I can special summon this monster from my hand and automatically end the Battle Phase, thus cancelling your attack." The Earthbound Immortal stood still, and a small ball of light revealed of curious monster with a body like the hands of a clock, and round eyes peeking out from its metal body. (Battle Fader is a level one monster with 0 attack points and 0 defense points.)

Carly leered over at the little monster, muttering that Jack was only delaying his fate. She set a card face down before turning things over to Jack for his turn. However, before Jack even turned to draw his card to begin his turn, he looked at her with a somber expression.

"Carly… listen. Before any of this happened, I was a very selfish man. Even after this started, I was selfish. I betrayed my friends and I exploited others for power and personal gain. And I didn't care what anyone thought," he started to speak, saying what was on his mind. "But, you taught me that that's not the kind of life I should lead. I remember running into you that one day, when we fought together against those possessed by the Dark Signers. I remember that you wanted to help me get back on my feet, encouraged me. You told me that someone who had lost their way could be redeemed by compassion and someone who cared for them. I didn't believe that back then. But, if it's only my heart that can save you…" He put a hand on his chest over his heart. Carly seemed unchanged, but perhaps somewhere inside of herself, she was listening. "Then I will give all of my heart that I might save you. Because… Because…" He paused. "Because I've never felt this way about anyone else. I don't know any other way to say it… but because of you… because of what you did and who you really are… I love you, Carly."

Suddenly, Jack could feel his entire body brimming with energy, some sort of force pooling into him. A few moments later, his Signer mark faded from his arm. He wondered what was going on, only to feel the energy surging towards his back. In a flash of red light, the full mark of the Crimson Dragon appeared on his back. The possessed Carly glared at him.

He felt the support of all the people he had hurt, the people who were meant to be his friends. Yusei, Luna, Akiza, and Era…Their power was now granted to him in this one moment, this moment that he might save the person who taught him to rise above the sins of his past. He looked down at his deck and his eyes widened. The top card was shining brightly like it had been hit with starlight. He quickly checked the speed counters he and Carly had, noting that they were still fairly close, though up one counter each from before.

And so, he drew the shining card from his deck, knowing that this was his moment of truth. He looked at the card in his hand, and noted the name on the card. "Majestic Dragon…"

"Jack!" came a voice.

He heard Carly's voice, but when he looked back to Carly her mouth was not moving. He felt a sudden twitch of pain that caused him to close his eyes. But, when he did, he saw a vision of Carly as she had been before she became a Dark Signer.

And it was this Carly that was speaking to him. "Jack… please… End this."

"Carly… no, don't talk like that, there has to be another way," Jack said.

"But, Jack, I don't want to hurt anyone anymore," she said.

"But none of this is your fault!" Jack retorted to the vision. Carly nodded.

"I know. But, please, do this for me. I don't want this thing controlling me anymore…I want the freedom to choose my own destiny," she begged.

Jack shook his head. "This is stupid. What if defeating you means you're gone forever?" He briefly felt the touch of her hand on his own within the vision.

"Jack, listen to me. Understand me, this is what I want. I don't want this monster to be the end of me. You have to destroy it… you have to defeat me. I don't know what will happen… but… this is what I ask of you. Will you do this for me, Jack?" Carly begged.

Jack sorrowfully nodded, coming to terms with what he was seeing and hearing in his mind, not quite sure of his was the real Carly talking to him or if he was hallucinating.

"If this is your wish, I will do as you ask, Carly," he agreed.

He opened his eyes slowly, briefly looking over at the possessed Carly before executing his turn. A brief image of a dragon flashed across his mind, and he knew what would decide the end of this duel. "I summon Majestic Dragon, a tuner monster, in attack mode!" A light colored, archaic dragon appeared on the field, wrapping its body around Red Dragon Archfiend's hand. Their bodies turned white and soon then disappeared into a cloud of light. Battle Fade soon joined them. "Now, I will tune all of my monsters together to summon…" The name of the monster flashed in his mind. "Majestic Red Dragon!" A dragon similar to Red Dragon Archfiend appeared on the field, with awe-inspiring wings and a long, twisting body. It was monstrous in size, though not nearly as big as the Earthbound Immortal. But, size was not the deciding factor in this duel. (Majestic Red Dragon is a Dragon type synchro monster with 4000 attack and 3000 defense points.)

"Majestic Red Dragon is specially built to take on an Earthbound Immortal," Jack explained, reading off the effect of the monster, "It negates the effect of Aslla Piscu and gains its attack points for the turn."

His possessed opponent looked utterly stunned as the Earthbound Immortal gave an ear-shattering scream. The dragon became cloaked in white light, and its attack was elevated to a staggering 6500 points. Aslla Piscu's wings drooped and dark energy was seeping out of it, a sign that the dragon was more than a match for the so-called God.

It would all be over in a single attack. However, Jack intended that Carly would not have to go down alone. The card he placed was a Trap card known as Shock Wave, and with its effect, his dragon would be sacrificed to deliver the killing blow to both of them. Perhaps it was what he deserved after everything that had happened. And he didn't know if he could make it up to Carly another way. But, if he had to grant her wish, perhaps he could at least go with her, wherever it was she would go.

When he looked back up to Carly, he was shocked to see her eyes return to normal. Carly shook her head as she revealed the Trap card she had laid down last turn. "I activate Earthbound Release," she declared in a tearful voice, "When you summon a level six or higher monster to the field, I can release my Earthbound Immortal to inflict damage to you and Majestic Red Dragon will be destroyed."

Jack quickly looked at his cards, and then at his Majestic Red Dragon, and realized she was walking into a suicidal move. "Carly! Wait! There's another part to the effect of Majestic Red Dragon. If you target it with a destroy effect, the card is negated and destroyed! And then you take damage equal to Majestic Red Dragon's attack… which means…"

"Which means this will finally be over, and you will be safe, Jack. This is the choice is I make," she said.

"Carly, no!" Jack tried to plead with her, but she had made up her mind.

In her moment of clarity, she was determined to take her fate into her own hands. The cards was played, and the Earthbound Immortal crumbled into the shadows, only mists of energy remained.

A wave of energy came at Majestic Red Dragon, only to be deflected by a barrier of light. It bounced back at Carly, smashing into her Duel Runner and throwing her off the vehicle. The flaming geoglyph disappeared as her Runner blinked with her final life point count before giving out to zero.

Jack stopped and jumped off of his duel runner running towards where Carly had fallen. An image of her as she was before flashed across his mind, showing him another vision as he kept running towards where she fell. The Carly in the vision was holding a deck of cards, and drew a card from the top.

"This is what I really wanted for you, Jack, the fate I wished for," he heard her voice echoing in his head. Was this another hallucination? He saw the card that she turned over had a picture of himself, surrounded by children and fans. He looked proud but had his hands extended in a kind gesture.

"I wanted you to be a true king: beloved by your people, and full of nobility and strength. I wanted you to heal and become something greater than what you were," Carly said.

The vision faded, and he found himself standing directly over Carly. He knelt down, picking her up and cradling her in his arms. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him weakly. "Jack… Oh, Jack…"

"Carly, it's over," Jack said.

"Yes, Jack, I can feel… the evil is gone, but… I am bound to it… so… until this nightmare is over… I must go with it…" she murmured. He felt her body grow lighter, and a thin outline of lavender light curved around her body.

"No, Carly, don't go, please…" he begged.

She cupped his cheek and stroked it lovingly. "Jack, I love you. Don't give up on this, okay? Everyone needs you. I…need you."

Starting from her feet, her body began to disintegrate into particles of light. Jack leaned down and kissed her forehead, before her hand pulled down his face to kiss her lips. In a few seconds, he felt nothing, and saw that her body was gone, and a stream of light floated into the air, whisked away by the wind.


	29. Gaps

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 27**

**Gaps**

After seeing a cascade of swirling color and light, Yusei found himself wrapped up in impenetrable darkness. A dampening weight seemed to press against his body as he tried to stand up and get a sense of where he was.

The air was completely still, and all he could see forever was the darkness. Was he dead? Was this the afterwards that greeted him? He could not say at first.

However, that theory was dashed when his Signer mark began to glow. Up ahead, he could see a faint red light, nearly being crushed by the darkness. He followed the light, feeling something was familiar about it. The duelist walked, and walked, and walked. It seemed like an eternity that he walked towards the light, though it grew a little brighter every so often.

Eventually, a form began to outline around the light. He drew ever closer, recognizing a human shape. He called out, only the shape slightly twitched in response. He called again, but to have little to no effect. He picked up speed, running as fast as he could with the weight bearing down on him.

He came close enough that he recognized the shape of the Celestial Signer mark, and saw the form the light was coming from was none other than Era, or something that looked like her.

"Era!" Yusei called.

She was lying sprawled out, her face turned to the side. Her Signer mark was glowing, but dimly like a light bulb that was about to go out. Her eyes were closed, but her fingers trembled. Yusei reached out, wondering if he was seeing some sort of vision. He was surprised that his gloved fingers actually touched and felt the warmth of her cheek.

"Era… can you hear me?" Yusei's voice softened.

She finally responded with movement, slowly attempting to sit up. Yusei reached behind her and gently supported, helping her get to her feet. She let out a quiet noise of disgruntlement before shaking her head.

"Y-Yusei…" she responded.

Her eyes finally opened and her head tilted so she was looking Yusei in the eyes. She smiled feebly at him and sighed with relief. "Thank goodness you're alive… I thought I had lost you."

She pulled him in for a quick kiss before gazing out at the foreboding darkness. "We're… inside Momentum?"

"For a while I thought maybe this was what beyond the grave looked like," Yusei replied, "But, you probably know as a good idea as mine. If that's where we are…" He looked around anxiously. "But, you shouldn't be here, Era."

"Neither should you. I came in after you because I intend to get you out," she responded sternly but still had its caring softness.

Yusei shook his head. "Era… you shouldn't… how are we supposed to get out, then?"

Era faltered, her expression turning grim. "Your… Your father will help. I don't know when he'll show up. But… I couldn't just stand by and watch you fall."

She felt Yusei firmly grab her by the arms, looking like he was holding back from being frustrated. Era pulled on his arms with her fingertips, looking up at him unflinchingly.

"You shouldn't have come in after me. Losing one of us is better than losing two. Especially…" Yusei said but was stopped by Era's stern gaze.

"Yusei, I refuse to lose any of the Signers. And I love you. What more reason do I need?" she said

He sighed. "And that's why I wish you would have stayed behind. Because I can't lose you." He started to sense a darker presence and Era could feel it too.

"We're not going to get anywhere arguing. Besides, I have a feeling things are about to get worse," he warned as suddenly the silence around them was broken by soft murmuring, followed by mournful, pitiful wailing.

"Come on," Yusei gently tugged on Era's hand, a gesture for the girl to follow him.

"What's going on? I can sense… this dread… this feeling of agony…" she said. Her eyes widened in realization of the episode's memory.

As Era was speaking, several white figures started to wander out of the dark, walking sluggishly and jaggedly, as though having a desire to limp. They looked like they were made of mist, with empty faces and a body that was featureless.

"What are these things?" Yusei wondered aloud. He reached out a free hand and touched one. Suddenly, his Signer mark began to shine brightly, and a vision flashed across his mind. In it, several people were falling into a chasm that was forming, down into the abyss to their deaths. Debris and a crumbling city surrounded the chasm, a city that Yusei knew all too well. "These are…" he began.

He turned to Era. "These are spirits of people who died during the initial explosion. The one that happened from your father's project… They're… they're here… trapped… just like the souls of the Satellite being used to fuel the Earthbound Immortals," Era said.

Era thought for a moment. When she reached out and touched one herself, feeling the memories flooding into her mind.

"Is this place… where some of the souls have been trapped?" Yusei worried. Era nodded.

Before either one could come to a conclusion, Era's mark started to shine brightly as well. The white figures halted, their featureless faces turning towards Yusei and Era. A few of them started to walk towards them, the sounds turning into howls of anger.

"They… they can sense us through the power of the Crimson Dragon… or perhaps they touched our memories? I don't know what's happening," Era said. This was different.

One of them suddenly grabbed Yusei, pulling him away from Era. "No! Let him go!" However, a spirit grabbed her as well.

"Era!" Yusei called. Yusei saw another vision, one of several people getting caught in the blast of Zero Reverse. "They're angry… because of what happened with the project… with what happened with my father and the Goodwins…"

"Yeah? And they see I know everything and my relationship to you. But, just because you're related doesn't mean it's your fault. It wasn't even your father's fault… it was Roman," Era said.

"Yeah, well I don't think it makes a bit of difference to them," he huffed pushing as hard as he could away from them to get to Era. He held out his hand, and Era tried to grab on, only to have the spirits rip him away again.

"Leave him alone!" Era yelled. She tried to use her abilities, but other than a bright glow from her mark, nothing seemed to happen. "I… have no power here… I can do nothing… but... How?" she said. She focused harder. Her body began to be pulled out with an eerie multicolored glow surrounding it.

Suddenly, the darkness began pulling Yusei in, and the spirits were pushing his body down further into the abyss.

"Yusei!" she yelled.

She tried to rush against the forces acting on her, as did Yusei. But, it seemed as though their efforts were futile. Her power kept the spirits from doing anything to her but Yusei didn't seem so lucky.

However, as the darkness was at his shoulders, there was a sudden silence. A bright light shined in the darkness, causing the spirits to stand back. A deep voice called out, shunning the spirits and shooing them away.

"These people do not bear the sin you seek to release. Hurting them will not earn you your final rest. By doing them in, you take away the chance entirely. Now, be gone!" the voice yelled.

The spirits vanished, leaving the two engulfed by the blinding light, the darkness melting away. Yusei's body was pulled back out by an unseen force and they found themselves standing on a plane of pure white. The two of them turned to each other, each wondering what had just happened. However, Yusei could swear the voice was familiar from somewhere, but who was it? Era knew though.

A silhouette of a man stepped out of the white approaching them as a figure of pure black. However, as it got closer, more features became visible, such as the flowing of a coat, the outline of shows, and spiked hair.

"What are you two doing here?" the voice spoke again. They realized that whoever was approaching them was the one who was speaking.

"Thank you for saving us," Era thanked him. "We got here by accident. We need to find our way back but neither of us knows the way."

The figure came even closer, and Era saw a pair of striking blue eyes and tan skin. Yusei realized the form much resembled someone from the past, but he scarcely believed what he was seeing in front of him. "…Father?!"

Dressed in a white lab coat was the figure of Yusei's deceased father, Professor Jason Fudo.

"I am glad I got here in time, or the earth may very well have swallowed you up," the professor sighed. "But yes, I am here to guide you from this place. You should not be here. NEITHER of you."

Yusei started to approach him, his face showing pure awestruck bewilderment. "How… can you be here? Are you alive? Are you a spirit trapped her as well?"

Yusei's father nodded slowly. "I am no longer alive. I haven't been for some time, Yusei. But I have remained here, to look over those who have suffered because of the mistakes of my team. I will depart as they will when the threat of the darkness we unleashed is averted."

"So…" Yusei said.

"I can lead you out, but I cannot go with you. Trust me, my son; this is not your place. There is much left for you to do, more people in your life to meet, and more experiences for you to have," Professor Fudo stated. He turned to Era. "I can say the same of you, Miss Windser."

"Why is it that you can lead us out? And not one of the other spirits?" Era asked. "And how do you know me?"

"I have heard of you from the voices that circulate throughout this place. When one enters, their memories are shown to others. As for your other questions, as I said, I am looking after these poor people until their turmoil is put to rest. The details are unimportant. What is important is that you both return to the Satellite and write the wrongs of the evil that seeks to destroy everything," he explained.

"Not important? But…" Era began but realized she should stop.

"Father…" Yusei hesitated.

"This is what must be done. I wish things were different, but this is something that cannot change. What has been done cannot be undone. But the future is still there for you. And the world is counting on you that all may have whatever the future may bring," Yusei's father said. The light intensified, blinding the two of them once again. The professor began to disappear, and the whole of reality began to shift.

"Father!" Yusei exclaimed.

"Take care, especially you, Yusei," his father said.

. . .

Back at the old site of Momentum, a few allies and friends of Yusei and Era were gathered around, fearing that they had lost both of them. Crow, the twins, and Trudge were huddled around the edge where the bridge had collapsed.

"Hey, look!" Everyone heard Leo's voice pipe up with astonishment.

Luna was the first to see particles of light begin to gather at the center of their small group. The particles began to shape into humanoid forms, and everyone suddenly realized what might be happening.

"Is that…?" Luna gasped.

"I think Yusei and Era are back!" Crow exclaimed.

"No way!" Trudge objected.

However, the light outlined their forms in mid-air, and soon it seemed to burst like shattered glass, revealing the forms of the group's lost companions.

Yusei hit the ground first, with Sidney landing on top of him. He grunted from the sudden impact of the rocky surface. He noticed that his Signer mark was no longer glowing, and Era's had also stopped as well. He looked down noticing Era was shivering and her eyes were closed.

"Era. It's okay. We're back. Everyone's here," Yusei said.

She opened her eyes and looked around. "…Guys?" Before she could look down and comment on the awkward position she and Yusei landed in, she was toppled on by the twins in one of the tightest hugs she ever had in her life.

"Don't EVER do that again. We thought you two might've been gone!" Luna cried.

Era could hear her best friends restraining sobs. "It's okay Luna. I have no intention of that happening."

She laughed. Crow extended his hand to Yusei and helped him to his feet. "Glad to see you're in one piece, Yusei."

Trudge was utterly dumbstruck by the whole thing. "Is everyone okay?" Era asked.

"You're the one to talk," Crow said with a grin that said yes.

He looked down at the old Momentum, spinning with its multicolored light.

"We're all in this together. And somehow, someway, things are going to be put right," Yusei said.

As Era was still being hugged by the twins, Yusei tapped them on the shoulder. "May I borrow Era for a second?"

Luna softly giggled and released her friend followed by Leo. "She's all yours, Yusei."

He then took Sidney's hands in his. "Yusei…" Before she could finish her sentence, Yusei leaned in and pressed his lips to her cheek. Her face turned bright red, not expecting that particular reaction at that moment. She looked away, until he took one of his hands and cupped her cheek, turning her gaze back.

"We're almost through this. And… we're both okay," Yusei said.

She smiled. "I… I hope everyone will okay in the end." _'Even if it means I won't be one of them,'_ she thought.

"That's my hope as well," Yusei nodded.

He released her then started to head down the tunnels back to where he parked his Duel Runner. Everyone began to follow, knowing the group was probably heading to wherever the next match was, and hopefully, the towers would be sealed before the sun set.

Otherwise, the fight for the world might be the fight to their deaths. And even though some thought they may not come out of this alive, all had a secret desire to see things through to the end. Era sensed that in their absence another Dark Signer had been defeated, meaning that only one remained and she knew which one. But, time was still the essence. And so, their fight for the future of the world would come to a close soon, one way or the other.


	30. Truth- Part 1

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 28**

**Truth- Part 1**

As they drove off they saw the mark of the hummingbird disappear from the sky. "So I take it Jack won his duel," Yusei said.

"Yes, but at a price," Era said vaguely.

"What do you mean by that?" Trudge asked.

"In the process he lost someone he deeply cares about. Once this is all over, she'll be free but," Era stopped.

"But what?" Crow asked.

"She won't remember a thing during her times as a Dark Signer. All of it will be a blank in her mind," Era finished. She looked down.

"I feel for Jack. He's gotta feel bad," Crow said. Era nodded.

"He does but he's also more determined to end this," she informed.

They all looked at her. "On another topic, hey Era can you tell us more about the past you know?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, like how Yugi Moto and this Yami you were talking about you said like they were the same person," Crow said.

"Oh, um. Well… I guess since it's in the past I can tell you," Era said and took a deep breath. "Yugi was always the best duelist. However he was always very timid most of the time. Until his grandfather, Solomon Moto, gave him an impossible task. The task to solve the Millennium Puzzle. It was a five thousand year old artifact that no one had been able to complete in that time frame. However the impossible became possible when Yugi completed it."

"So what happened when he completed it?" Luna asked.

"He was fused with ancient, magical energies that came straight from Ancient Egypt. Within the puzzle held the spirit of a five thousand year old pharaoh," she stopped again to breath.

But then Crow asked, "Spirit of a pharaoh?"

Era nodded. "Yugi at first was clueless even when the pharaoh took over his body to duel for him. No one ever really noticed the height or vocal difference. But when he found out, Yugi was a bit reluctant to let the pharaoh help. Especially when the pharaoh put Seto's life on the line in hope to help Yugi's grandfather in Duelist Kingdom."

"Why would his grandfather need help?" Trudge asked.

"Because Pegasus had the Millennium Eye. There were seven Millennium Items total. The first you learn about it the Millennium Puzzle, Millennium Eye, and the Millennium Ring which I will get into in a moment. Pegasus' eye was first discovered when Pegasus used a video tape to give to Yugi as an invitation, and threat, to join Duelist Kingdom. He took Yugi into a Shadow Game where the monsters were real and your soul was on the line. When it was about done, Pegasus stole Solomon Moto's soul. He had also kidnapped Mokuba and taken his soul and put them into Soul Cards," Era continued.

"Soul cards?" Yusei asked.

"Yes, with his eye, Pegasus was able to take the souls of Solomon, Mokuba, and eventually Kaiba. When it came down to Yugi versus Pegasus, Yugi was struggling and he and the spirit came up with a plan. They were somewhat separate their merged minds. Keeping their thoughts separate from each other so Maximillion Pegasus couldn't read their minds with his Millennium Eye," Era stopped.

"He could read minds?" Leo asked.

Era nodded. "Eventually, Pegasus got frustrated and took Yugi and the Spirit to the Shadow Realm. A realm not unlike the Netherworld. It's a world where souls are sent to wander aimlessly. Yugi used the last of his strength to play one last card before his mind was strained to a breaking point leaving the spirit alone. It took everything the spirit had and the help of Yugi's friends. Tea, Joey, and Tristan. But they beat Pegasus using the Magician of Black Chaos. Now onto he Millennium Ring. It belonged to one of Yugi's friends, Bakura. Just like the puzzle, a spirit was held in the ring. But it was an evil spirit. It used Bakura's body as a vessel. At one point it tried to take Mokuba and use Mokuba's body as a vessel instead of Bakura's because the real Bakura helped Yugi in their own Shadow Game. When Pegasus lost he kept his word to Yugi and the spirit by freeing the souls he had captured. However, the possessed Bakura came to Pegasus just as he freed them. They played a Shadow Game based on the strength of their minds. Bakura won and took Pegasus' Millennium Eye," Era explained.

"What happened after that?" Crow said.

"Yugi learned what to call the spirit as Yami. However, he also learned the spirit had no memories from his past. Their journey together went through many dangers and once the Yami finally learned his true identity and who he really was, he had to battle Yugi. If Yami, or now known as Atem, won, he wouldn't be able to go to the afterlife. If he lost, he would be guided back. Yugi wished his other half wouldn't go because they had become close friends and battled evils like Marik and Dartz. But he knew what he had to do and what was right, and allowed his spirit friend to go rest. That's all I know from there," Era concluded.

"So you're telling me there were tons of evil out there?" Crow asked.

"Yep. When Atem was retrieving his memories with Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey, they went back to Ancient Egypt. Where they confronted the first known evil, Zorc. He was the embodiment of darkness and chaos. Atem, Yugi, and their friends were able to stop him by working together," Era explained. "But that should be enough for now. I can explain the rest at a better time."

Yusei nodded in understanding. That was a ton of information to process. And the thought that evil lurked back then, it made him worry. They looked ahead and noticed the Lizard tower was coming up.

"So is the Lizard tower to only one left?" Leo asked.

"Yep," Yusei replied. "And if it isn't sealed by sunset then the doors to the Netherworld won't be shut." _'I hope Akiza's okay,'_ he thought.

They entered an abandoned amusement park where they find Mina's car. "The duel hasn't started yet," Luna mentioned.

"No, it hasn't," Era replied.

"Let's split up and search for either of them," Yusei suggested.

"Yusei, I'm going to find Jack. I'll meet up with you later," Crow said before taking off.

The rest of the group split up with Leo and Luna going one way, Trudge searching another, and Era and Yusei walking another way.

As they walked Era knew what was going to happen. Era heard the sound of a board falling from above. She looks up. She pushes Yusei out of the way and uses her Signer abilities to create a red shield. The board hits the shield and it crumbles on top of her.

"Era!" Yusei exclaimed.

The pieces of the heavy board began to move up and Era pushes out of it unscathed. "Hey, Yusei," Era greeted. "I'm fine."

"What impressive powers?" came a voice. They turned to a man who said, "I come from Sector Security under Director Goodwin's orders."

"Listen, we appreciate the concern but it's not safe here," Yusei said. Era glared. _'Sayer…'_ she thought her teeth gritting.

"I've already prepared for such risks and I have learned all the details from the director. For the sake of New Domino City, Akiza must win at any cost," the stranger said.

"Era let's trust him," Yusei said to his companion. "He could help."

"Or maybe it's a setup," Era growled.

"And why would I be setting you up?" the stranger asked.

"I can see right through you and your façade," Era growled. "But if you want to trust him, let's trust him. But I am keeping watch on everything you do." The man nodded in acceptance.

They continue to walk and Yusei whispers to Era, "What was that about?"

"He's not part of Sector Security and Goodwin didn't send him. He wants to make Akiza a one woman army with her power using one phrase," Era said vaguely. "But let's just let it play out like it should, until he reveals himself."

"Yusei, do you believe Akiza is skilled enough to defeat this Dark Signer?" the man asked as the trio kept walking.

"She'll win. I believe in her," Yusei answered.

"I believe in her and I know she'll win," Era chimed in.

"It sounds like you have special feelings for Miss Izinski, Yusei," the mystery man said.

"She's a friend," Yusei said.

The man suddenly twists his head towards a house next to them. Era gives him a glare. "I think I just saw movement in that house," he said.

"I'll go look," Yusei said and before Era could protest he entered. Era ran in after him.

When they enter, Yusei calls out for Mina and Akiza. "Ugh…" came a weak groan.

"Mina!" Yusei exclaimed looking below him to find her unconscious.

Yusei then tried to open the crate door and Era ran over to help. Era looked over and yanked Yusei. "Watch out!"

A fireball was hurdling at them and barely missed them. "If you want answers, Yusei, you must fight me. If you dare," the stranger said. He took Psychic Sword from his hand and materialized it to life.

"Are you a psychic duelist?" Yusei asked.

The man just laughs. He used his Hinotama and fired another fireball at Yusei. "Yusei!" Era exclaimed.

"Why don't you want us to help Akiza?" Yusei asked.

"Akiza is destined for greatness and that she doesn't need any friends," the man said.

"If Akiza doesn't wrap things up by sunset, the world is going to get destroyed," Era said angrily. "But I doubt you care about that."

"That is none of your concern," the man said.

He reached out and attacked Yusei using his Psychic Sword. He neutralized Yusei with the sheath of it and sent him into the cellar next to Mina. "Yusei!" Era called.

The man shut the cellar and Era glares daggers at the mysterious psychic duelist. "Akiza can only shine in a world that I desire," he said looking down at Yusei. He used another fireball and sealed the lock.

He walked up to Era who was still in Yusei's view. Era got in a defensive stance. "Now, now. You are coming with me!" the man said yanking Era. He spun her around and locked her arms while he put the sword to her throat. "I could use a powerful person like you. I'll just need to reshape your mind a bit."

"Leave Era alone!" Yusei yelled.

"This is all for the better, Yusei. And Era will be a perfect weapon along with Akiza. That was something Era was right about," the man said.

He began to yank Era away. "You're not taking me, Akiza, or any of my friends," Era said.

He looked at her. "What gives you the power to think you can stop that from happening?" he asked dragging her along.

"The cosmic forces around us!" she exclaimed. She focused on her power and said, "Transport next to Yusei."

In a split second, Era disappeared from the man's grasp he looked around confused. Yusei looked next to him as he heard steps. The man turned around, "HOW?!"

"I am the Celestial Signer. I have abilities you can't imagine," Era said. Then she growled, "Sayer…"

His eyes widened. He gave a grin before walking away and leaving the house.

Suddenly, water started flooding into the concrete walls. "Mina! Yusei! Era!" they heard Trudge's voice.

The water was filling the room by the second and it wouldn't be long before they wouldn't be able to get air. Era looked over at Mina who was waking up thanks to the water. "Trudge! We're in here!" Mina called out.

The locked trio heard the door slam open and Trudge call, "Where are you?!"

"Look down," Yusei said.

"How in the world?" Trudge yelled.

"Just get us out," Mina ordered.

"He doesn't need to," Era said.

They looked at her. "Mina, Yusei get close to me and hold on," Era ordered. They did as they were told seeing they were running out of time. "Transport to ground and next to Trudge."

In a flash of light to Trudge, they were gone. But as fast as they were gone, they reappeared behind him. Yusei, Era, and Mina were wet and Era was tired. "How did you…?" Yusei began.

"We can talk later, but Akiza needs us right now," Era said and was already running out.

They hurriedly followed but Yusei asked Mina something, "What does Misty have against Akiza?"

"There were reports of her brother going missing a few years ago. Though there aren't many leads, there are rumors saying that the Arcadia Movement was providing false accusation to the investigators," Mina explained.

"So what happened to you three?" Trudge asked.

"I was attacked by this man and locked up in that cellar," Mina explained.

"We were confronted by the same man and when he said he thought he saw movement inside that house, I ran in. I was worried about you and Akiza," Yusei explained. He looked towards the still ahead Era. "Era knew something was up from the beginning. She even said how she knew about him and his disguise. She probably knows who he was and knows what he wants. She already revealed the fact that he wanted to use Akiza as a weapon. He was going to use her as a weapon. But she saw right through him and I think it's because of her world." Trudge and Mina looked at Era.

Era sees Leo and Luna standing on a platform watching the duel. "Leo, Luna, what's going on?" she asked as she approached them.

"Oh hey Era," Luna greeted. "Akiza's dueling Misty."

"But she's acting like the Black Rose!" Leo added.

"Era, do you have any idea why she's back into that mode?" Yusei asked.

Era nodded. "Sayer told her a phrase and that unleashed her power and locked her normal self away." She looked at the one room house on the other side.

"Sayer?" Yusei asked. She pointed to the house where Sayer was laughing while watching the duel. "You guys stay here," he orders.

"Yusei, I'm coming," Era said. Yusei was about to respond but she stopped him. "I'm coming. I'm going to be there to help Akiza." Yusei nodded.

The two of them ran off while they watched the duel. It was Akiza's turn so she drew a card. "I'm going to remove Rose Fairy from my graveyard activate the effect of Black Rose Dragon. So that switches Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings to attack position and reduces its attack points to 0," she informed. Misty gave a look of surprise. The rose petal covered dragon lashed out its vines and forced it into attack position while.

Yusei and Era reach the room without being noticed by Sayer. When the two emerge, Sayer turns to them. "Well, look who escaped. I'm quite surprised that you survived but not too surprised with the fact you can someone who could teleport with you," he said.

Era looked out the window and at the duel. "Black Rose Dragon, attack Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings!" the dragon did as it was told and Misty's life points went to 1100. "You're about to lose, Misty," Akiza growled.


	31. Truth- Part 2

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 29**

**Truth- Part 2**

"When Reptilianne Rage is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, your monster will get 800 attack points deducted," Misty responded.

"Well now I'll summon Dark Verger in defense position," Akiza declared.

Era then turns back to Yusei and Sayer. "Why are you doing this Sayer?" Yusei demanded.

"Thanks to the Dark Signers attacking the Arcadia Movement Headquarters, I have a scar on the right side of my face. I have complete mind control over Akiza and she will only listen to me. I will use Akiza to get revenge against those who have hurt me," Sayer explained.

"Let her go, Sayer! She's not that person anymore!" Era demanded.

"Akiza is my faithful servant. I decide everything she does," Sayer said. He shot a fireball at Yusei who quickly jumped out of the way.

"You're not going to control anyone else. I won't let you," Yusei retorted.

Sayer laughed. "People need direction so as not to hurt others or themselves. One of those people is Akiza. She has always needed someone there to guide her and I have provided that guide."

"You're pathetic," Yusei sneered.

"No, but this one is. This Dark Singer for becoming a Dark Signer through the grudge from the disappearance of her brother and now she's fighting a Psychic Duelist to get revenge," Sayer said.

Era and Yusei remembered what Mina said though they were both different. Yusei asked, "So you're the one who had caused the events that led Misty to become a Dark Signer in the first place?"

"Yes, though I never expected things would've gone this far," Sayer admitted. "But it is the perfect stage for him to demonstrate the Psychic Duelists' power to the world."

Era smirked and Yusei said, "You just revealed that you were behind Toby's death."

Era looked back at the duel. "It'll be here soon," she muttered. "Too soon." The two other duelists looked at her.

I was Misty's turn. She drew a card and summoned Reptilianne Gardna in defense mode. She sent Sad Story- Unwavering Truth to the Graveyard to revive Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings. "Now attack her dragon!" Misty exclaimed. It attacked Black Rose Dragon, dropping Akiza's Life Points to 1600. "Due to its effect, I draw a card and you send a card from your hand to the Graveyard."

"I activate Fragrance Storm and destroy Dark Verger," Akiza declared. She drew a card due to its effect. "If I draw a plant type monster, I can draw again." She drew a card and another card and after that she summoned Copy Plant to the field. "Since Copy Plant is a tuner monster, Dark Verger's effect activates so I can summon it back from the graveyard." She then set two cards face down and ended her turn.

Misty drew her card and grinned. "I activate Advance Force. This lets me count my Queen of Tragic Endings as two tributes. So now I tribute to summon…" she slams the card on her disk. Era head began to pound in agony. She went to one knee clutching her head. "Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua (Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua is a level ten Dark attributed Reptile type monster that has 2800 attack points and 1800 defense points)!"

Yusei grabbed Era as Sayer shot a fireball at her. "Y-Yusei…" she muttered quietly.

Yusei secretly pushed a button on his duel disk and asked, "Are you responsible for Toby Tredwell's disappearance? And then pinned the crime on Akiza?"

"Yes, I'm the one who made Toby disappeared one year ago," Sayer confessed. He explained that he has put Toby through a hard experiment to see if he has any potential to join his organization. This experiment consisted of an electrocuting device which would reveal if Toby had strong enough psychic powers to withstand the procedure. After seeing that Toby did not live up to expectations, Sayer deemed Toby as of no use to him. He sent him off to a secret facility. Era glared up at him from her pained state. "Toby abilities were pathetic. Akiza, however, was one of my greatest discoveries. Her powers were as strong as she was naïve. She has always tried to meet up with my expectations."

"She's not that person anymore," Yusei growled.

"She's who I say she is and right now I say she's a one woman army. But you already knew that," Sayer retorted. He turned to Era. "You know, Era, I could make the pain stop."

Yusei froze at the same time as Era. "N-No, you can't. You can't stop negative energy from attacking my mind. And you can't force someone to be a person they don't want to be," Era responded. But Sayer and Yusei both heard the hint of desperation in her voice.

"Come now. Do you really want to suffer through this pain any longer?" Sayer said.

"Sayer…" Yusei growled.

Sayer threw a fireball at him. Yusei barely dodged but was also only grasping to the floor to keep himself from falling. "I must say, you are persistent," Sayer said. He brought out his Psychic Sword.

"Sayer, you may try to act like you are the good guy to fool me. But I know different. You sent Misty's brother to a secret location, you nearly killed Carly, you're trying to make my friend an army by herself, and now you're trying to kill Yusei," Era said struggling to stand up. She looked at him with a strong glare. "You're a messed up person, Sayer. But I don't think only me and Yusei heard your little confession."

"What?" Sayer asked shocked.

Yusei gave a small laugh as he pulled himself up. His duel disk revealed a blinking light. "With my duel disk's speaker, Misty just heard every word you said."

The psychic duelist is shocked by what Yusei said and looked to see Misty, who had a look of an immense intention of killing him for what he just said. "Now that I know the truth, now that I know it was you, I want to know where my brother is!" she yelled.

"He was shipped off to an unknown secret facility to which even I don't know its location," Sayer responded.

"Well in that case, I'll just send you to the Netherworld!" Misty exclaimed angrily.

Her Earthbound Immortal used its long, obviously lizard-like tongue and grabbed Sayer. In one solid gulp, Sayer was gone into the darkness. Leo and Luna turn and hug each other. Yusei's eyes widen but quickly turn back to Era. He runs up to her.

"Yusei… go help Akiza," Era ordered.

"But…" Yusei began but he knew there was no point. The tone in her weak voice told him there wasn't.

Akiza then slowly started to convert back into the old Akiza. Yusei hurried down to the ground.

"I have finally avenged Toby's disappearance and now understand that you didn't have any position in the disappearance of my brother," Mist said while she turned back to normal. She said, "There isn't any more reason to fight you."

Misty was about to surrender when a dark voice pierced through the air and a dark mist clouded around and tried to overtake Misty.

Yusei yelled to Misty, "Fight it, Misty. Your vengeance is over so don't lose to the Earthbound Immortal!" He turned to see Akiza was still in a small trance. "Akiza! Akiza!"

"I-I know that voice. It's Yusei calling out to me," she mumbled. As her mind finally broke free, Misty began to talk worriedly.

"I- I can't stop this Duel through my own will anymore," she said. Suddenly, the mist invaded her. _**"So now I think I will destroy you, Signer. And everything you hope to accomplish!"**_the possessed Misty exclaimed.

Yusei yelled to Akiza, "Akiza, you're the only one who can save Misty." Akiza agreed with a nod.

Misty sent Ccarayhua to attack the Signer directly.

Akiza activates the trap card, Ground Capture, halving the battle damage from one of her opponent's monsters and her life points dropped to 200.

She also added since she had taken at least 1000 points of damage, she draws a card. She set a card face down.

Akiza thought, _'If I win the duel, Misty will get sent to the Netherworld. But if I can just defeat the Earthbound Immortal, there might be a chance to save her.'_

It's Akiza's turn and she draws a card. "I use the effect of "Copy Plant", changing its Level to 2. And now I summon, Hedge Guard and activate Shining Rebirth. This lets me synchro summon my Black Rose Dragon from Graveyard by using my three monsters." The cards in her Graveyard float by as she does so. She explained further, "When Black Rose Dragon is successfully summoned, she can destroy all cards on the field and thanks to the effect of Shining Rebirth, Black Rose Dragon isn't destroyed this turn."

The possessed Misty laughed. "If you win the Duel, Misty will die for good!" she laughed.

The Signer glared. "The one I want to defeat is the entity controlling Misty," Akiza retorted.

She activated the effect of Black Rose Dragon, but the possessed Misty wouldn't allow her to win so easily. She activated the trap card, Doom Gazer. "This card inflicts 300 points of direct damage for each card that would be destroyed. Seven cards in total would be destroyed, so you will be taking 2100 points of damage."

"Akiza…" called the spirit of the true Misty. "Akiza, you need to protect this world as a Signer."

"Are you sure?" Akiza asked tears welling up in her eyes. The true Misty nodded. Reluctantly, Akiza exclaimed tossing her head to the side, "I activate the trap card, Nature's Reflection. This redirects the damage to you."

The attack made Misty lose a locket on her neck and fell on the ground. Ccarayhua and the lizard geoglyph disappear.

Era's head stopped pounding. She got up and walked to the group. "Nice job, Akiza!" Leo complimented.

Era looked at her friend with sad eyes. "She's not in the mood for celebrating," she said.

Akiza noticed a locket. She walked over and picked it up. Inside was a picture of Misty and Toby. A few of Akiza's tears fell on the locket.

Era noticed Leo look at the setting sun. "We're too late," Leo said.

"We weren't able to seal the tower before sunset," Trudge added.

"Well at least the inhabitants of Satellite were saved, right?" Mina said. Yusei nodded.

Era was still in the background. Her time was running out now. A sharp pain shot through her body starting at the heart.


	32. The End Is Near (One Last Author's Note)

**A/N:**

**Okay guys, the end is coming up soon. So I want to ask you all again to make your voices heard so I can make a final decision on the outcome of the possible Yusei x OC.**

**I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all of you for being out there and supporting me. I was nervous to put this on here but when I did and saw all of your compliments it made me feel happy and respected.**

**Though this story will soon be over, I was thinking about something. Depending on the ending of this story that you will choose, I may just add a sequel. But that depends on YOUR voices.**

**Thanks again for all your support and keep sending out your opinions on the subject at hand.**

**'Til the next chapter,**

**-bricann**


	33. The Beginning of the End

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut.**

**Chapter 30**

**The Beginning of the End**

She gripped her chest with one hand and fell back to one knee, barely able to stay stable. She looked at her body the best she could with the pain. Her body was pulsing with red light.

As she tried to focus on creating the portal, the pain seemed to become stronger and more overwhelming. She couldn't hold in a loud, pained groaned.

The group in front of her turned to look at her. "Era!" Yusei exclaimed. They ran over to the crumpled girl. Yusei touched his hand on her only to yank it back. _'She feels hotter than fire,'_ he thought.

"Yusei, what's going on?" Akiza asked. He shook his head saying he had no idea.

"T-Time is counting… down," Era stated vaguely and full of pain. Yusei's eyes widened.

"Does she mean…?" Luna began but couldn't finish.

"My… power is beginning to overload. Only have an hour… to focus this," Era muttered.

"Yusei, what do we do?" Akiza asked.

That's when they heard the sound of two duel runners approaching. They looked to see Jack and Crow coming up. "What's wrong with Era?" Crow asked.

"Her power's beginning to grow. After an hour it will be beyond control and if she can't focus it on making a portal…" Akiza trailed off.

"I'll… die," Era finished. She continued to focus her mind and making the portal even though it hurt more and more as the power increased.

A sudden earthquake followed by a flash of light caught everyone's eyes. They look in its direction. "It's coming from the New Domino City!" Yusei exclaimed.

"Yeah, but what is it?" Crow asked.

But just in that moment a Dark Signer mark appeared in the sky. The Condor. "Who's the new guy?" Jack asked.

Yusei's eyes widened and he turned to Era. "Era, is this Goodwin's mark?"

They all looked at him. Era nodded weakly. "It is…" she responded.

"How do you know?" Jack asked.

"I've seen it all happen… before…" she said quietly. "From the beginning of all this to the end of it all."

"Era, you have to tell us. Will we win this? Will we save everyone?" Jack asked.

"Wait, what did Era say about Jack again?" Crow chimed in.

"What did she say about me?" Jack asked.

'That in the process of defeating the Dark Signer you fought, you lost someone he deeply cared about. And that once this is all over, she'll be free but she won't remember anything," Crow recited.

"Once this is all over?" Jack wondered. Era nodded numbly. "So we will win this?" Era nodded again trying to focus on creating a portal.

"But you must act as if you never knew that you would. Act like everything is still on the line," Era said confidently but its confidence was overtaken by the weak, pain sounding voice.

Another wave hit and the group looked behind them. A giant creature came out of the old reactor chamber. It was made of a dark, black, goo like substance with two red glowing eyes. As it formed the sludge dripped from it fell to the ground.

Crow mentioned how Roman had warned them that the King of the Netherworld would appear if they fail to seal the four towers before sunset.

"Then this must be him. The King of the Netherworld," Yusei inferred.

"So is this the end of the world?" Trudge asked.

"Did you not hear what Era said?" Mina responded.

Era heard a groan and looked at Luna. She had turned her head to what some would believe was air but Era knew better.

"Uh, Kuribon just told me if that thing reaches the mark some really bad things are going to happen," Luna informed everyone.

"Like what kind of bad things?" Leo asked.

"The really bad kind," Luna and Era said in unison.

"But how can we stop this thing?" Leo asked.

Era's mark began to glow bright followed by the other Signers' mark. After few cracks of thunder, everyone noticed the red lights shining through the sky. From those lights, the Crimson Dragon emerged. It roared and sent a blast of light consuming the Signers and their companions.

As they flew past what seemed like stars, Crow said, "It looks like it's taking us somewhere."

"Yep, and it's taking us in a hurry," Yusei responded.

"_Era,"_ called the Crimson Dragon.

"What… is it?" Era answered.

"_You are not focusing. Ignore the pain, create the portal,"_ the dragon instructed.

"How can I ignore the pain? It hurts…" Era asked.

"_Just think about creating the portal. Don't let anything distract you,"_ she said. _"Focus."_

Era did as she was told. She could suddenly feel the power begin to drain off her. Yusei and the others gasped as they noticed her power drain off beside her and a mini vortex was beginning to form.

"I think this is our stop," Crow said looking down.

When they are set back onto the ground, they find themselves on Goodwin's island residence where one of the buildings was smashed to rubble and the Temple of the Stars stood in its place.

"That's…" Jack began.

"The temple that was under Goodwin's mansion," Yusei finished.

They looked up and noticed how the Condor geoglyph glowed just above the stairway.

"That condor geoglyph we saw was above Goodwin's mansion!" Akiza realized. "But why?"

Goodwin, who had obviously been waiting for them, appeared at the top of the stairway.

"You were victorious in your efforts of defeating the Dark Signers, but they were unable to close the Doors of the Netherworld in time," Goodwin said.

"Are you saying we lost this? The world…" Yusei asked.

"… Is done for" Goodwin finished. Everyone gasped. Except for Era.

He stared back at the King of the Netherworld who was coming in their direction. "The King of the Netherworld is fast approaching," he said noting its progress.

"Why is the King of the Netherworld coming here?" Yusei asked.

"For the ritual," Goodwin said vaguely.

"What?" Yusei asked.

"This is the stairway that is the place for the Divine Ritual. I used the Crimson Dragon to bring you Signers here for the sake of that ritual," Goodwin explained.

He picked up the capsule Roman had talked about with Roman's arm in it. Along with the fifth Signer mark. The mark began to glow, causing the Signers to feel pain through their own marks.

"What is that?" Luna asked.

"It's the fifth mark," Era muttered feeling the pain of her powers and the pain from the presence of the mark. _'Just put that thing away,'_ she begged mentally.

"Is that arm in that thing yours?" Jack asked.

"No, it had once belonged to my brother Roman," he answered.

"Then why do you have it?" Yusei asked.

Goodwin just laughed but Era kept trying to focus on the portal which was slowly getting bigger. He set down the capsule and turned around. The condor mark appeared on his back to everyone's surprise.

Goodwin's jacket then tore as his muscles expand. His irises turned pitch black and purple lines started to form over his now muscular body, showing his status as a Dark Signer. He unlocked the canister and ripped off his mechanical arm.

While he used his other arm, he took Roman's arm from the tank. "By using the Dark Signer's power, I will make this arm my own," he announced. He held it in place of the missing arm, where it attached itself thank to his ability.

"_NO!"_ the Crimson Dragon exclaimed.

"_Crimson Dragon, fight him!" _Era exclaimed.

"_I- I can't his dark powers are forcing my own to give in!"_ Crimson Dragon responded.

"_Then use some of mine to give yourself the strength,"_ Era suggested.

"_You need that power more than I do. The events must come to pass,"_ she responded.

"_But…"_ Era wanted to intervene but knew she couldn't.

"_Just focus on making the portal,"_ the dragon ordered.

A bright light showed as the mark became a part of him. "What are you trying to do, Goodwin?" Yusei asked.

"With the power of both the light and the darkness, I will become all powerful and rule the world! Recreating it in my image," he answered. He rose his arm and the temple rose further out of the ground.

Yusei grabbed the pained Era and went with the others as they retreated away from Goodwin's mansion and onto the bridge leading to the island.

Goodwin laughed as he got a view of the entire city. An alter appeared before Goodwin.

"The ritual shall be done in a Turbo Duel on the crest of the Condor. There I will defeat you Signers and sacrifice you to the King of the Netherworld," Goodwin informed.

"But it was you who asked Yusei and the others to _defeat_ the Dark Signers in the first place," Crow reminded him.

"Yes and when I met Miss Windser and she stated that she knew my plan, I was shocked he thought I had a plan. But I wonder now how much she knew about it initially," Goodwin said.

"What'll happen if we defeat you?" Yusei asked.

"Then the King of the Netherworld will most likely disappear. But I will never let that happen," Goodwin answered.

"Fine if you want to duel then you can count me in. I entered this to save the world and I'm going to do just that," Yusei agreed.

Era got off of the duel runner and went to rest against Trudge's cars while focusing on making the portal.

"I'll make sure you leave this world and never come back," Jack vowed.

"I may not be a Signer but I will do anything to protect those kids and everyone in Satellite. So count me in!" Crow agreed. "We'll soar just as high as the legendary man did!" Goodwin grinned when he heard that.

They started their engine. "We will stop you and the King of the Netherworld," Yusei promised.

"I'd liked to see you try," Goodwin taunted.

The geoglyph began to rotate so that it tilted downward. The group offered words of encouragement while Era thought, _'Good luck, you guys. You'll need it.'_

Goodwin placed his deck in a compartment on the temple that shuffled it. "To make up for being outnumbered, you three will each start with four thousand but I will start with three times that amount. 12000 life points and nobody can attack on their first turn. I assume there are no objections," Goodwin said.

"None here," Crow agreed.

"I'm good," Jack agreed.

"Then let's go," Yusei responded.

They jumped onto the crest that was going to be used as a road and took off.

**Sorry everyone but I am just too lazy and tired about writing the entirety of the duels at this point. So I'll be skipping until the near end of it. It will all conclude in the next two chapters. Please keep voting so I can get a thorough vote. Remember TWO CHAPTERS left! Be ready for an ending decided by you, the readers!**


	34. Unwritten Ending

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut who I cannot thank enough for letting me use some of her parts. So above and beyond thank you AvatarofBahamut for this. I hope if you are reading this that you understand how grateful I am.**

**On another note… Okay guys, this is it. First of the last two chapters. Be ready because this may not end like you think it would. Without further ado… Chapter 31…**

**Chapter 31**

**Unwritten Ending**

As Era focused on creating the portal, which was slowly working but also exhausting her body, she heard and somewhat watched as Goodwin took the powers of the Crimson Dragon. The Crimson Dragon tried to resist but since the powers of the head had become connected to Goodwin he was able to take them.

He summoned his Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca and put both Jack's and Crow's life points down to one at first. Their duel runners crashed and they couldn't ride further. But when Goodwin's Immortal knocked Yusei's life points to the same point as his friends, he kept riding.

The total field is like this:

Yusei: He has Stardust Dragon. Including Jack's leftover facedown, two face downs.

Goodwin: He has Wiraqocha Rasca and one face down.

It pained Era more than anything to see Yusei and her friends go through this first hand but she knew she could do nothing. Or could she?

It was Goodwin's turn now. He drew his card and used Wiraqocha Rasca's effect to attack Yusei directly.

"Yusei… use my card. Right now!" Jack ordered.

Era grinned as she heard Yusei exclaim, "I activate Scrubbed Raid! This put an end to the battle phase which means your Earthbound Immortal can't attack."

"I activate the trap card Meteor Prominence. By discarding two cards, I can inflict 2000 points of damage straight at you!" Goodwin retorted.

"I counter by activating Joint Future! By sending one card from my hand to the graveyard, I can negate the activation of a spell or trap card," Yusei countered.

"Fine then. But by skipping my next draw phase, I can to add it right back to my hand next turn," Goodwin responded.

"Well then, I guess I'll have to activate the second effect of Joint Future. This forces you to put the negated card back into your deck and then shuffles it," Yusei informed.

Goodwin growled placing the card back. "I end my turn," he said.

"Goodwin don't you see. Again and again friendship triumphs. Now let your brotherly bond triumph too," Yusei said.

"Be quiet! The bond I had with my brother is long gone," Goodwin retorted.

"You're wrong. There are certain bonds that last for eternity," Yusei said. "Believe me, I know. And I know you do too Goodwin. After all, your brother trusted you to do the right thing. Trusts like that are easy to ignore but not to forget. Look deep down Goodwin. Look deep into your heart. I'm telling you Roman's still there, you just have to listen to him."

Although it wasn't apparent to anyone else, Era remembered how Goodwin looked to see a younger version of his brother. Roman shook his head before disappearing.

Era noticed how Yusei's deck began to light up. As she looked at Goodwin, still staying focused on the portal, she saw how the Crimson Dragon's mark disappeared from his chest.

It reappeared on their respective bearers. "WHAT?!" Goodwin exclaimed.

Yusei's tail mark disappeared off his arm. He looked at Crow and noticed how it was going to him. He looked back and immediately noticed the Mark of the Dragon Head was on his forearm.

"The Mark of the Dragon Head is with me?" Yusei asked to no one in particular. He turned back to Goodwin.

"I was the chosen one! I had the markings of both the light and the darkness!" Goodwin exclaimed.

"Perhaps, but the Crimson Dragon noticed how you still honor your brother's memory. So now the Crimson Dragon is a part of me!" Yusei exclaimed as the full mark of the Crimson Dragon appeared on his back. "You did your part Goodwin, and now I'll do mine! My turn!" He drew his card. Era knew what card he drew. "Now because Stardust Dragon is on the field, I can special summon my Stardust Xiaolong to the field straight from my graveyard. And next I summon Majestic Dragon." Yusei said and the two dragons appeared on the field. "Now I tune my Stardust Dragon and my Majestic Dragon with my Stardust Xiaolong!"

"Whatever it is that Yusei's doing, he better do it quick!" Trudge exclaimed as the King of the Netherworld was getting closer.

Yusei began his chant and then exclaimed, "Appear Majestic Star Dragon!" Its body engulfed Yusei as it formed on the field. Thus Yusei was riding it from somewhat inside. "Now I activate Synchro Baton! Now for every synchro monster that's in our graveyard Majestic Star Dragon gain 600 attack points. Which gives him at total of 6200 attacked points and the distinction of being the toughest monster on the field. You know what that means, Earthbound Immortal Rasca is going down!" Yusei said. "Attack Majestic Star Dragon!"

Era opened her eyes. _'I know what I have to do. Even if it means I won't make it…'_ she thought. _'Up to eye level with the King of the Netherworld and hover there.'_

Era's body began to float up into the sky. Her power slowly beginning to fall back into her and the portal disappearing. "Era!" Akiza called.

"What are you doing?!" Luna asked scared.

Era didn't respond as she climbed higher and higher until she was indeed eye level with the Netherworld King.

"_Era! What are you doing?!"_ the Crimson Dragon exclaimed.

"What I'm truly meant to do," Era responded. She looked back as she saw Yusei finish off the Earthbound Immortal and Goodwin. "Yusei! Attack of the King of the Netherworld now! Crimson Dragon, please, give him the power to take down the demon king. I will give him an extra power boost."

"_Era…"_ the Crimson Dragon started but Era interrupted it. "Just do it. I'll be fine."

"_O-Okay,"_ the Crimson Dragon conceded.

Yusei passed by her as he attacked with his dragon. The Crimson Dragon's power and her body surrounded it. She focused every ounce of her power and shot an energy beam at Yusei's dragon which glowed brighter as soon as it hit. And the dragon went straight through the King of the Netherworld.

'_I… I feel dizzy. Maybe… I can rest… for a bit…'_ she thought before she was slowly overcome by darkness.

The last thing she felt was someone grab her followed by two other people landing behind her.

"Era! Era!" Yusei called. He pressed his fingers to her neck in an attempt to find a pulse. "N-No, she can't be…"


	35. Live to Fight Another Day

**A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!**

**There will be parts in this story that come from the story known as ****"Yugioh 5D's: Legacy of the Star Princess". All of those parts go to its author AvatarofBahamut who I cannot thank enough for letting me use some of her parts. So above and beyond thank you AvatarofBahamut for this. I hope if you are reading this that you understand how grateful I am.**

**As I promised, here is the tally total from those who voted- Yes, Yusei x OC: 7 No, Yusei x OC: 0**

**On another note… Okay guys, this is it. The LAST chapter. You better be ready because this may not end like you think it would. Maybe it might've. I don't know what you thought so I can't say for sure. But anyways, without further ado… Chapter 32…**

**Chapter 32**

**Live to Fight Another Day**

"_Yusei…"_ he heard a voice.

"Wait, was that…?" Yusei couldn't finish.

"_Yes, Yusei. I am the Crimson Dragon. She is not lost yet. She still has her mark. I can save her but I must ask this first,"_ the Crimson Dragon asked. She wanted to test him and his honesty.

"What do you need to ask? I'll answer anything to save Era," Yusei responded.

"_Do you truly love Era? Think carefully before you answer,"_ Crimson Dragon said. To her she saw the truth but she needed him to say it again with fully honesty and no uncertainty.

'_I can't even imagine life without her. I need her here. I love her,'_ Yusei thought. "I do. I love her," Yusei answered.

"_That is good to hear. I will save her for she loves you and you both need each other,"_ the red dragon stated.

Era's body began to give a red and white fluctuating shine. Her breath became more apparent and steady as her body regained its health. Yusei gave a sigh with relief. She was going to be okay. And that meant everything to him.

They found themselves over Satellite and Jack said, "I guess we're here to finish the bridge."

"Yeah," Yusei agreed.

When they landed, they immediately went to Crow's hideout where Yusei set the sleeping Era down until she woke up.

As soon as they were sure she was safe and fine, they began their work to finishing the bridge and connecting the people.

_Eleven in the Morning_

Era's eyes opened slowly. She looked at her surroundings. "This is Crow's hideout…" she muttered.

"Good to see you're awake," Yusei said walking in.

She looked at him. "So the King of the Netherworld was…" she began and stopped when Yusei nodded with a grin. She sat up and swung her legs to the side.

"You know the only reason you're alive is because of the Crimson Dragon," Yusei said. Era looked at him confused. "After you released every bit of your power, I grabbed you and your pulse was so faint it might as well been non-existent. She asked me if I truly loved you and she would save you after I answered."

"What… did you answer?" Era asked.

"What I've said most of this adventure, 'I love you'," Yusei responded.

Era couldn't help the deep red blush that covered her cheeks. She looked at him. "I love…" she was stopped as Yusei pressed his lips against hers.

When they pulled a part, there was no shock on their faces. No confusion. It was all happiness and warmth.

After that day, they continued to build the bridge. And after that was done, Yusei, Jack, and Crow found an apartment they could use thanks to the land lord allowing them. Yusei was worried Era would be left on the streets but she told them how she was staying at Martha's to help out.

The Crimson Dragon had her brother put Jack (Era's brother) with a new family in another city. A family they both knew was safe. Era was happy that her brother was in good hands now and away from her parents.

But this was only the beginning of their adventure together. Era knew that better than most. And she was ready to face it with Yusei and her otherworldly friends.

_This may be the end for one tale but this is only JUST the beginning…_

** Everyone, I can't thank you enough for the support. Now it is undecided if there will be a sequel. I am so happy to all of you who helped this story get so far and supported me with this story. This may be the ending of this story, but a new one may find its way into the fanfiction world. Once again thank you for the support, thank you AvatarofBahamut for the permission to use some parts, and I hope to write to you again.**

**Farewell!**

**-bricann**


	36. Final Author's Note (Hopefully)

**Okay, this story's supposed to be complete. But hey might as well let you all know. Because there have been so many fun and cheerful requests, I have made a final decision and will make a sequel. User who keeps changing her name, that is one way to ask me to make a sequel. It actually made me laugh. I really appreciate how much you love my work. But all of you that support and helped this story along have a place in my heart as well. I can't thank you enough for what you did. So the sequel goes to all of you. There may be a third. These stories will be matching the series as best as possible. I thank you all again. Until I have the sequel up, farewell!**

**-bricann**


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